


Redemption

by ALMartin1011



Series: Thor & Mia [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - Fandom
Genre: And angst, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anxiety, Chubby Thor, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fat Thor, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Mjolnir - Freeform, Pregnancy, Romance, SO MUCH FLUFF, Some Humor, Thor Needs a Hug, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, all the feels, book two, dad thor, depressed Thor, i just love thor so much, thicc thor, thor is worthy, thor x mia, thor x oc - Freeform, thorxoc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-07-23 19:56:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 56,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20013928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALMartin1011/pseuds/ALMartin1011
Summary: Hello there again! I'm going to assume you've stumbled across this after reading Worthy (if not please read that one first!) and are ready to see our boy get his shit together. Well... as we all know progress isn't always linear, nor is it easy. But he's gonna get there, he just needs time and love and lots of hugs. I hope you all enjoy this as much as the first. It's gonna be a long one and I'll post updates as I finish chapters and scrub them to my liking. It might take bit, but it's coming, I promise.Thank you all for the love and support!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there again! I'm going to assume you've stumbled across this after reading Worthy (if not please read that one first!) and are ready to see our boy get his shit together. Well... as we all know progress isn't always linear, nor is it easy. But he's gonna get there, he just needs time and love and lots of hugs. I hope you all enjoy this as much as the first. It's gonna be a long one and I'll post updates as I finish chapters and scrub them to my liking. It might take bit, but it's coming, I promise. 
> 
> Thank you all for the love and support!!

“Damn it.” Valkyrie hissed slamming down the phone. “We lost him again.” 

I nodded, not having really expected to find him this time. We had spent the last four days tracking Thor’s movements across the country, always a few steps behind. He started out in the desert of New Mexico and then traveled around a bit, we almost caught up with him in New York but he was off to London and we had lost track of him again after that. It was like he was revisiting all the places he knew and I wondered what he was looking to find. 

Valkyrie had not left my side since Thor left. She was insistent I needed protection with Thor gone and despite my best efforts she had all but moved into the spare bedroom next to mine. I was appreciative of her efforts to but I didn’t expect to find him any time soon. 

“It’s okay, Val.” I tried to assure her, “Don’t beat yourself up. We’re still waiting to hear back from Coulson’s team. They might have something.” After we learned Thor was in New York City, Valkyrie had called up SHIELD asking for assistance. They were more than accommodating but hadn’t had much luck so far either. 

“If he was in London he’s probably headed further into Europe. We need to redo the map.” 

“Okay, I’m going to go find something for lunch before I have to leave for my appointment. You have fun with the arts and crafts station.” 

Valkyrie had set up a large world map on our dining room table and was using all sorts of markers, pins, and thread to mark out known locations, travel routes, and possible next moves. I had affectionately named it the arts and crafts station which annoyed Valkyrie to no end but at least helped me smile a little in the midst of the nightmare that had become my life. 

Valkyrie shot me an exasperated look, “I’m going with you, Mia. Don’t try to get out of it. We’ll leave at 1:30, I’m driving.” 

“I know, I know. You must guard the little prince or princess in my belly or else.” I waved my hand at her dismissively as I headed for the kitchen. 

I heated up some leftover pasta from the previous night and sat at the kitchen table, staring out at the backyard while I ate. It was only a few weeks ago the three of us had sat out back chatting happily and sharing a meal. We were all so much happier then. I wondered with a pang of guilt if my little intruder had been around then and if the few sips of whiskey I’d drank hurt it. I would never forgive myself if something happened to this child. I had only known about its existence for a few days but it was the only thing keeping me from falling into a pit of despair with Thor missing. It was hard not to feel as if I had failed him and blame myself for his relapse. I had spoken with Dr. Grant about it at length the day before and she gave me a few soothing mantras to help when the negative emotions started bubbling up. 

I headed upstairs to change before we left but couldn’t find my favorite sandals. I was digging around in the bedroom closet looking for them, moving things out of my way when Mjolnir tumbled over. I froze, realizing that was the large handle I had just moved. I looked around like a crazy person, feeling like I was being pranked. I didn’t want to leave it laying there half out of the closet, half in, but no one could move the thing except Thor, and Steve Rogers before he passed. I was fairly certain it had moved when I shoved it though. Deciding it was better to try and fail than leave it there I gave it quick scoot with my foot. It moved again. I sat down on the floor, unsure what was going on and a little terrified. Maybe the restriction was only lifting it and scooting it was okay, I desperately reasoned with myself. Tempting fate I wrapped my hand around the handle and pulled. The hammer was feather light in my hand and I sat there staring at it like an idiot for a moment before placing it safely back in the closet. I wasn’t sure how to handle the new revelation and gave up on finding my sandals, wanting to get far away from the hammer to deal with it another day. 

Valkyrie was all but pulling me out the door at 1:30 on the dot. She seemed as anxious as I was for the appointment. The obstetrician’s office was located next door to the hospital where I had been just days before and they had agreed to see me right away since I still had the implanted birth control in my arm. We needed to remove that as soon as possible to ensure it didn’t affect the baby. I filled out my new patient forms and handed them my debit card to pay. It was so expensive for one quick visit and I knew things were just going to get more expensive the further along I was. I had no intention of using Thor’s card but remembered he had moved most of his money to my account so really he was paying for it anyway. 

Dr. Baker was a kind looking woman only a few years older than me. She was cheerful and open in a genuine way as we talked and she got to know me. I liked her instantly and was glad it was her who had the availability for my appointment. She went through what to expect with the birth control removal and gave me literature on pregnancy and the do’s and don'ts associated with it. Valkyrie scribbled notes down as the doctor spoke and held onto the paperwork for me. I was thankful the doctor had read up on the differences in Sajoren pregnancies so she was prepared for the shortened gestational period. It wasn’t drastic, but Sajoren pregnancies lasted only 28 weeks, about six months, instead of the human 40 weeks. 

As I laid back for her to check the baby’s heartbeat Valkyrie took my hand, holding it tightly in hers. I felt the pinpricks of tears forming and tried my best to hold them back. Grief and anger washed through me as we waited. Thor should be here for this, I thought. The emotions passed as soon as the whooshing sound of our child’s heartbeat became audible on the screen, replaced with pure love. It was the tiniest little flicker, but it was there and thriving.

“There it is, mama.” the doctor pointed out the spot for me on the screen. 

I couldn’t speak as the tears freely fell. Even if Thor wasn’t with me, at least a part of him was. 

“So my best guess is you are about five weeks along. We’ll see you back here in a month but you can feel free to reach out before then if you have any questions or concerns. Do you want me to print out a sonogram picture? It’s not much to see this early on but some people like having it.” 

“Yes, we will need two.” Valkyrie said before I could speak. I raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged in response. “One for you to keep and one for me to show off in New Asgard.” 

I shook my head, “Val, no. You cannot tell anyone about this yet. We have to find Thor first.” 

“Fine.” she huffed. 

With Dr. Baker satisfied with the health of the baby we moved forward removing my birth control. The procedure to remove the implant went quickly and easier than I expected. We were out the door and back into the bright summer sun in less than an hour with only mild discomfort in my arm.


	2. Chapter 2

As expected, SHIELD had no luck locating Thor either. It was almost a week since he had left and I was done wasting time. I knew it was a long shot but I got the phone number for Dr. Stephen Strange from Coulson and was determined to get his help. Coulson had warned me that Strange was not the most agreeable man but gave me the number anyway. Valkyrie had ruled him out as an option but I was not willing to give up so easily.

I hid like a five year old in my bedroom to make the call while Valkyrie worked downstairs. Strange answered on the second ring, “Who is this?” he demanded.

“Is this Dr. Stephen Strange?” I asked, caught off guard by the harshness of his tone.

“You should know who you called. Who is this?”

“My name is Mia, Thor Odinson is my fiance. I need your help, he’s gone missing.”

“Missing as in taken? By whom?”

“No, missing as in he left. But you don’t understand, he’s not well.”

“Let’s say I believe you are who you say you are. You seriously expect me to stop what I’m doing to help you solve a lover’s quarrel?” his tone was condescending I almost screamed.

“If you won’t help me that’s fine but don’t be an ass.” Strange chuckled on the other end of the line at my outburst. “This is more than a lover’s quarrel. He’s not well, he’s depressed and has run off. I need to make sure he’s safe regardless of our relationship status. He could be a danger to himself at this point.” 

The sigh on the other end of the line was dramatic but Strange conceded, “Fine. I will look for your wayward god and get back to you.” 

The call ended abruptly and I sat staring at my phone in shock. I wasn’t sure if Strange could help but at least he was going to try. I tucked my phone into my pocket and headed downstairs, wanting to get out and do some gardening while I waited to hear back from him. It was hard not to feel smug that I had been able to enlist his help after Valkyrie had ruled it out so quickly. 

I was sitting down weeding a patch of cucumbers when a gold halo started spinning in the middle of the yard. I gasped in surprise as the ring widened and Dr. Stephen Strange stepped through, closing it quickly behind himself. 

“You are Mia?” he asked already knowing the answer. 

I brushed the dirt off myself as I stood, extending a hand he refused to shake, “Yes, thank you for coming. Do you have any leads?” 

“He’s drunk off his ass on some cliff in Norway. Would you like to go retrieve him yourself?” 

Valkyrie came bursting through the kitchen door, “I cannot believe you called the wizard.” she scolded me harshly.

“I had to do something!” I all but screamed at her, “And he’s found him.”

That stopped Valkyrie in her tracks, “You have him, for sure?” 

Strange rolled his eyes, “Yes, I’m certain. Now, are we going to get him or what?” 

“Yes, but hold on. I need to get one thing.” 

Strange huffed but waited outside with Valkyrie. I ran upstairs to the bedroom and retrieved Mjolnir from the closet. I was surprised but thrilled when it lifted easily for me again. If I couldn’t convince Thor he was safe to come home, maybe Mjolnir would. I wished I’d had a camera when I hurried back outside, Mjolnir in hand. Valkyrie looked as if her head was going to explode and Strange actually gawked before regaining his composure. 

“Let’s go.” I told him ignoring Valkyrie’s shocked staring. 

Strange moved his hands and opened a swirling portal in the yard, I could see Thor through the portal, sitting on a stone in front of a cliff. 

“Wait!” I placed a hand on Strange’s arm causing him to scowl until I removed it. “Is it safe to travel through these things if you’re… uhh… pregnant?” I hated having to reveal that to him but I needed to be sure.

He lifted a dark eyebrow, “Yes, perfectly safe. You have my word.”

I smiled and stepped through the portal with Valkyrie at my side and Strange following. 

The temperature change was drastic and I shivered as the wind whipped at us. Thor was sitting on the rock, head bowed with a bottle of tequila in one gloved hand. I crossed the short distance to him leaving Valkyrie and Strange where we had entered. 

Thor looked up at me with bleary eyes, “Has the time come for me so soon? I should have known your face would be the last I saw before Valhalla called me home.” 

My heart clenched in my chest, “You’re not dying, my love. I’m here.” I placed a hand on his wide shoulder, letting him feel the contact to know I was telling the truth. He scrambled away from my touch and I thought I would collapse from the pain in my chest. Fear was wild in his eyes. “Mia, no. Please no.” he protested, “You can’t be here. I can’t keep you safe.” 

“I can keep myself safe. But we need to talk.” I waved Mjolnir at my side, showing him I was carrying his beloved weapon. Thor’s eyes widened as he looked from Mjolnir to my face several times. I had rendered him speechless. “Don’t ask me how.” I told him, “But apparently you are not the only one Mjolnir favors. Now, can we talk? Please?” 

Thor scrubbed his face with his hands, “I don’t know what there is left to say.”

“Do you still love me?”

His eyes blazed, “Of course I do. But that doesn’t change-”

“I love you too. We need to talk this out Thor. Even if you don’t come back with me, leaving a note was a shitty way to leave me.”

Thor’s shoulders slumped, he knew I was right. 

“Give me a minute, okay?” I headed back to Strange and Valkyrie who stood silent watching the interaction. “Can we have some time? I don’t know how long this is going to take but I don’t want to just kidnap him back home.” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Valkyrie assured me.

Strange shook his head, “Fine, I’ll give you two 24 hours and then I’ll be back right here. If you’re here you get a free ride home, if not then I hope you brought your passports.” He was gone quickly in another golden portal that closed with a snap behind him. 

I looked at Valkyrie who was staring at Thor with a mix of sadness and pain, “Not a word about the baby.” I warned her. “I mean it, Val. I’m not going to have him come back just because I’m pregnant. I couldn’t live with myself if I trapped him that way. We can tell him when we get home and settled.” She glared at me but shrugged in agreement. “Thank you. Now, let’s go get our boy back.” I linked my arms in hers and led her over to where Thor was sitting. 

“Oh, Valkyrie no. Why did you bring her too? Isn’t this humiliating enough without an audience?” he complained. 

“She needs someone to look after her without you there, you bloody moron.” Valkyrie snapped at him. 

Thor scowled at her but didn’t argue. “Well, if the two of you are here to gang up on me at least let’s go get something to eat. Follow me.” He pulled himself to his feet with a groan and headed towards town, tugging his hooded sweatshirt around himself with his arms wrapped around his chest. The tavern was a good ten minute walk away and no one attempted conversation. It was so awkward and strained. He clearly didn’t want us there but I caught him stealing glances at me as we walked. The inside of the tavern was cool compared to outside and the bartender waved as Thor entered. “I didn’t expect to see you back again!” the young tattooed man called out. 

“I’ll need a tankard of ale and a menu. And pints for these two.” Thor called back as we took a table in the corner. 

The bartender brought over the drinks and Valkyrie noticed my nervous glance to her and down at my pint. She grabbed her drink and quickly chugged the entire pint down. Giving her mouth a quick wipe she reached across and stole my pint glass. “Mine!” she cheered taking a swig. 

“I can get you another.” Thor offered to me.

“No, it’s fine. Really. It’s a little early in the day for me yet.” I insisted. 

Thor shrugged and began reading the menu. The waiter came back and he ordered a feast. Valkyrie got herself an appetizer and I reluctantly ordered the chicken soup hoping it would agree with my newly sensitive palate. 

“Are you well?” Thor asked, finally breaking the tense silence. 

“No, I’m really not.” I answered him honestly.

Valkyrie sunk down in her chair sipping her ale and trying to disappear. 

“I’m sorry to have caused you any pain.” Thor said with honest remorse. 

“I’m sure you are, but you have to know what you did was wrong. There is nothing we couldn’t have just talked through. I know you were scared when I got hurt but what else was wrong? Even if you are not going to come back, I deserve to know the real reason why.” 

“It was just like in my dream.” he said whisper quiet.

“What was?” I knew I probably shouldn’t but I reached across to take his hand in mine anyway. 

He winced at the contact but didn’t move away. “You were lying on the floor surrounded by blood, I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I have been seeing your death in my dreams for weeks. Sometimes it’s just you but more often it’s you and my family. I’m never fast enough, strong enough, clever enough. It’s always something and I watch you die not able to save you in time.” 

I tried to school my expression but I was screaming inside, “That must have been terrible.” 

“It was the worst moment of my existence. And when we finally got you home and I could keep you safe I ended up causing you more pain. I had been hovering on the edge of sanity for weeks trying to work through things like Dr. Grant wanted and I just broke. Again.” 

“You’re not broken. You just stumbled. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize how hard things had been for you. I thought you needed space, I was wrong.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. But I still can’t risk your safety. The nightmares might not go away anytime soon and I can’t risk hurting you again. Besides, there’s peace now but who knows what will come next. I’m a target for anyone who would attack our world and that makes you a target too. I cannot protect you properly. It’s just not safe for you to have me in your life.” 

“Thor, you’re so wrapped up in what if’s. Dr. Grant would scold you for not focusing on the concrete things you know to be true.” 

“I know I am not the protector you deserve. You have a set of stitches to prove it.”

“No one could have prevented that, Thor. You know that. And I’m not too certain how to use this thing yet but I’m pretty sure I could take care of myself if push came to shove.” I motioned to Mjolnir. 

“I am thankful it chose you as it’s new owner. You are most assuredly worthy.” 

“I’m not it’s new owner, Mjolnir is still yours. I’m just bringing it back to you.” 

“I could not lift it now if I tried.”

“But you haven’t tried.” 

The food arrived and Thor took the opportunity to drop the conversation. After a few minutes of silent chewing Valkyrie reached her limit. 

“This is a fucking joke.” she blurted, “I can’t sit here while the two of you just ignore the elephant in the room. You,” she pointed at Thor, “are a fucking moron and I’m going to steal your woman if you don’t get your act together. You are acting like a child hiding in his mother’s skirt. Yes, real life is scary. Yes, sometimes you can’t protect people you love. But you can’t stop living because it got hard or scary. Grow up you big oaf or you might as well throw yourself off that cliff we found on.” She turned and pointed at me, “And you. Oh my dear girl. Either fight harder for this man or give him up. I know we’re supposed to be supportive and kind and all that bullshit but he needs a slap in the face and a reminder of what’s in your pants. Now. I’m going outside, I can’t be in here another minute with you two. It’s killing my brain cells.” 

We sat there, both stunned by her outburst. I started to speak and so did he. We both flustered and encouraged the other person to go ahead. Finally I spoke up. “I think she has a point.” I wanted to elaborate but a wave of nausea hit me and I pressed a hand to my mouth before bolting to the bathroom which was blessedly well marked. I barely got to the toilet in time before the few bites of soup I had eaten came flying out. I gagged and wretched, slumped down on my knees, when I felt a presence behind me. Thor had followed me into the ladies room and squeezed himself into the stall with me. “Here,” he offered gently, “Let me hold back your hair.” I nodded as the next round of dry heaving started and he pulled my hair back, braiding it for me. Once my hair was secured he rubbed small circles on my shoulders trying to comfort me. 

After a few minutes things had settled down again and I started to stand up. Thor had to back out of the cramped stall to give me room to stand and he gave me a hand to steady me. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” I apologized once I had rinsed my mouth out.

His face was etched with worry, “Are you ill?” 

“I’m not sick. It was probably from the portal.” It was a sliver of truth. I knew it was most likely from the baby but there was a thin chance it could have been from the portal. I hated myself for the deception all the same. “Thank you for being there for me.” 

“Of course. I want to give you comfort when you are in need.”

“But you left. You left me, Thor. I know you’re all lost in your head right now but I need you to find your way back to me. If you didn’t love me then I would understand, but you do. And I love you too, so much. I need you to try again. You were doing really well, this is just a hiccup.” 

“What if I just keep failing? I’m never going to be completely free of this. What kind of life are you signing up for with me? Why would I want to burden you like that?” 

“Because I love you. Forever. It’s just that simple.” 

“I need… I need to think. Let’s get out of here. I have a room not far. Maybe we can talk?”

“We can do that. Let’s go finish lunch and find Valkyrie.” 

We headed out to the table to find Valkyrie snitching fries off Thor’s plate. 

“Thief.” He accused her lightly. 

“While you two were off reconciling in the bathroom, naughty by the way, I decided food was more important than brain cells.” She said snatching a few more fries before he could pull away his plate. 

I smacked her arm, “We didn’t do anything you pervert.” 

“Whatever. So what’s the plan then?” 

“Let’s eat and we can go get a room for the night where Thor is staying. He and I have some talking to do.”

“Okay, I'll make myself scarce til morning then.” 

“Val, you don’t have to-“

“No, no. I’m out. There’s some sightseeing I want to do while I’m here.”’ She stood up, drinking the last of her ale, “Don’t fuck this up, Odinson.” She warned then headed out. 

“She loves you too, you know. You’re the closest thing she has to family.” I told him. 

He closed his eyes, “I know. She has become my family as well.” he admitted. 

I rubbed his arm and took his free hand in mine. I picked idly at some soup crackers while Thor finished his food, not wanting to upset my stomach more. He was done rather quickly and we walked a few blocks down to the hotel he was staying at. I checked into a room for Valkyrie and I and text her the info. 

Thor’s room was tidy but bare. He had nothing in the room except a small bag of toiletries on the vanity sink. 

“How’s Lady been?” He asked to break the silence. 

“She misses you. I gave her two carrots yesterday but she was unimpressed.” The poor mare had been looking all around for him when I entered the barn and it had broken my heart when she realized he wasn’t coming. 

“I miss her too. It feels like it’s been a lifetime.” 

“Only a week but I agree, it feels longer. We can work this out, you know.” 

“I don’t know how. I don’t know how to get past the need to keep you safe, even from me.”

“You know who would? Dr. Grant. I talked to her a few times last week. She thinks you two rushed things in therapy and you need more time to process what's coming up. She’s ready to dial back the intensity of the sessions and even do twice a week Skype calls until things normalize again.” 

“She’s a good doctor. But really, Mia. How many times are you willing to put up with me failing you like this? Don’t you understand, I’m not whole. You deserve so much more than this.”

“Thor, you are whole. You are not lacking in any way. You are worthy. I need you to hear that. You. Are. Worthy.” 

He opened his mouth to protest and my arm reacted before my brain could catch up. I did the only thing I could think of to shut him up. I threw Mjolnir straight at his head. Thankfully Thor’s reflexes kicked in and he caught the hammer before it struck. He stood there holding his hammer scowling at me, too annoyed to enjoy the reunion, “You could have hurt me.” He accused. 

I scoffed at him. “You weren’t in danger. Mjolnir knows what’s inside you just like I do. Even when you don’t see it yourself.” 

His expression softened and he gave Mjolnir an easy swing. “How did you discover you could wield it?” 

“I accidentally knocked it over looking for my sandals. I couldn’t find my soft tan leather pair and I pushed it over not knowing what it was. Once I did, well, I don’t understand it but it happened.” 

“It knows you’re worthy. Your sandals are in the bin underneath my side of the bed by the way. I saw them there when I was looking for my sneakers the other day.” 

“Thank you. And you’re worthy too, Thor. You wouldn’t be holding it right now if you weren’t.” 

“But-“

“Nope. Not buts. I’m so tired of that word. Do you love me, yes or no?”

“Yes.”

“If I am willing to stand by you through your dark times are you willing to try and get help?”

“I will try bu… uh… however, it might not be enough.”

“Then we cross that bridge when we get there. Are you willing to really try?”

“Yes.”

“Then we try. Come home with me, Thor. We can call Dr. Grant as soon as we’re back and start taking baby steps. I love you too damn much to just let you give up like this.” Hormones won out and the tears started to fall. I couldn’t help it. 

Thor’s face appeared devastated by my tears and he crossed the room to pull me into his arms. He rested his head on top of mine and I buried my head into his soft chest. He held me, whispering gentle words of comfort until my tears dried. I let him lead me over to the couch where he pulled me into his lap and I curled against him. I fell asleep to the rhythm of his breathing, finally able to truly relax for the first time since he left.


	3. Chapter 3

When I awoke it was dark outside. Thor hadn’t moved and was watching me when I looked up at him. 

“You slept.” He mused, “I’ve never seen you nap during the day.” 

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, “I guess I needed it.” I had been exhausted from the stress, and probably a little from the baby but I wasn’t ready to let that slip yet. Better to wait until he had talked to Dr. Grant. The last thing I needed was to spook him and having him running again. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“I’m just fine. Aren’t you uncomfortable though?” 

Thor shrugged noncommittally, “I am happiest with you in my arms. I would not have moved you for the world.” 

“I missed this, the closeness. Sleeping without you was unbearable.”

“I missed it too. I’ve been alone before but this time was the most lonely I’ve ever felt.” 

“We’re really going to do this, right? You’re coming home?” 

“Yes, we are. I am. I was a fool to run and I promise you I won’t do it again.”

“Good. I don’t think I could handle it if you did.” 

“So Valkyrie took good care of you in my absence?”

“She was the best. She practically moved into the spare bedroom next to ours and hasn’t stopped smothering me since. She took care of everything for me, I don’t know how she even found time to sleep. Val was up before dawn catching up on New Asgard duties and still had time to cook me breakfast before I got up. She kept me company during the day while we searched for you. She got us dinner and let me control the remote after everyone had left for the night. I was completely pampered. She even insisted on going to my appointment with me, she’s such a mother hen whether she wants to admit it or not.” 

“I’m glad you were well cared for. What appointment?”

My heart stopped. I wasn’t thinking when I spoke and I had to lie again to the love of my life. I went with another almost truth, “It was a follow up from my ER trip. Everything is fine.” 

“We are fortunate she cares for you so. Maybe a little too well.” he teased pinching the soft layer of fat on my hips. “When was the last time I held you this way? You feel heavier than I recall.” 

I had always been curvy but I knew I put on a few pounds over the past month. I turned crimson, screaming inside to conceal the truth just a little longer.

Thor misinterpreted my look, “No, darling. Don’t be upset. I was merely teasing. You know I love you. I would not mind in the least if you put on weight. You are beautiful to me in every way. Besides, I mean, look what became of me and you love me still.” he gestured at his soft middle. 

“I know you do, I’m not upset. Maybe I have put on a little weight. All of my summer clothes are soft and have stretch so I must not have noticed it yet. And you know I love your body, I always have. You are so perfect. It’s difficult to keep my hands off of you.” I kissed his chest and rested my hand against the curve of his belly. When I looked up to meet his eyes I was shocked by the passion that blazed in them. 

“I’ve missed your body against mine.” he said thickly. 

“As have I.” I was hesitant, unsure of how comfortable he would be with physical contact. I was sitting on his lap but he had been dealing with so much, I wasn’t sure how he would react if I tried to initiate anything further. His gloves had come off while I napped and I took that as a good sign. “Thor, we don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for. But I do miss being with you.”

“I was trying to wait. I can’t imagine what you must think of me for abandoning you like that. I didn’t want to assume you would be willing to share your body with me again so soon. I’ve done nothing to earn your forgiveness yet.” 

I thought on his words for a moment, really letting myself search my emotions before speaking. “I do forgive you.” I said at last, “You reacted badly but you were hurting and afraid. I can’t ever hold that against you. My love for you is unconditional, nothing will ever change that.” 

Thor’s eyes were glassy and his voice hoarse when he spoke, “I will work every day to ensure this never happens again. I promise you. I love you so much.” He tentatively stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. I took his palm and pulled it to my lips and pressed a kiss against it. His eyes closed and a breath caught in his throat. 

“We can stop at any point.” I reassured him. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to once I taste you.” 

“Good.” I said as I snaked my arm around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. His lips brushed against mine feverently, as if he couldn’t get enough. He pulled me close against him and I moved to straddle his thick thighs. He lifted us off the sofa, carrying me to the bed. Placing me down on the too hard mattress, he moved so he was over top of me. The torrent of kisses continued down my neck as I struggled to take off my clothes. “I missed you. I love you. Please, please Thor, make love to me.” I begged him. 

“I love you, I’m so sorry. So, so, sorry my love.” He said between kisses. He fumbled with his own clothing while I pulled off the last of mine. I sat up to help him with his shirt and he was quickly naked on top of me. The heat of his skin against mine was exquisite. His arms locked me in on both sides, his legs pushing mine apart, and his soft belly pressing against mine. He was all consuming on top of me and I writhed beneath him as he positioned himself at my entrance. His face was pure bliss as he pushed inside and I cried out in pleasure at the familiar stretching of my walls. He stilled once he was fully buried within me, his breaths coming in big gasps, and he rested his forehead against my chest. I played with his hair gently while he took a moment to steady himself, not trying to hurry him in the slightest. When he lifted his head to claim my lips once again I tasted fresh tears on his lips. 

He started moving, slowly at first, and I did my best to match his pace despite my desperation. Gradually he quickened his movements and a moan escaped my lips at the feel of his deep, rapid thrusts. Thor could sense I was close and slipped a hand down to rub against my throbbing clit, pushing me over the edge with ease. I tried to stifle my cry and bit the back of my hand until deep indentations formed. I wrapped my legs around his hips and ran my hands all over his body, my nails lightly scraping as I went, sensitizing his skin. He shuddered hard as I dug my fingers into his love handles, meeting him thrust for thrust with my hips. Thor met his own release with a relieved sounding cry and he stayed put for moments after letting himself come down from the wave of pleasure. 

I resumed playing with his hair, in no hurry to move. He eventually rolled off of me but pulled me close against him, my back to his chest, our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. 

“So why Norway?” I asked him after some time had passed. 

Thor sighed heavily, “The spot where you found me? It’s where my father died.”

“Oh my god, Thor. That’s terrible. What drew you there now?”

“I was trying to piece things together I guess. I started in New Mexico where I landed on Midgard for the first time and then moved from place to place where I had been before.” 

“What were you piecing together?”

“Where things went wrong before. Doc had me doing a lot of thinking about my past and how these issues might have always been around, just not as severe. I think she was right about some of it.” 

“It would make sense that she was. But Thor, you were chasing pain by going to those places in search of bad memories. I know you couldn’t stand hurting me but I feel like you set out to hurt yourself instead. Punishing yourself under the label of therapy.”

“I didn’t look at it that way.”

“I know you didn’t. But it doesn’t change that you were actively seeking out all the painful memories you could find. Remember, you are a part of me just as I am a part of you. That’s what it means to give someone your heart. So when you’re hurting yourself, you’re hurting me too.” 

“I will endeavor to be kinder from now on. I cannot bear to cause you any more pain.” Thor’s arms tightened around me and I snuggled in comfortably. 

“What should we do with the rest of our day?” I asked him. 

“The day here is over. It’s almost eight o’clock. We can grab dinner and watch a movie if you want. Maybe we can find Valkyrie and go meet her somewhere. What time will Strange be back?” 

“He said 24 hours, so we have until tomorrow around 8am. Well, six hour difference, so 2pm.” 

“Is there anything you want to do here before we leave? Or we could try calling him for an earlier pick up?” 

“Let’s find Valkyrie first. I don’t even really know where here is but I’m sure we’ll find something to do. Calling him again will just annoy him and me. We can wait until tomorrow to go home.” 

Valkyrie didn’t answer her phone so we spent the evening walking around the little town our hotel was in. It was charming and old world feeling, the streets lined with little shops and cafes. We were lured into a pub that lively music was pouring out of and sat at the bar enjoying the music late into the night. I was still on east coast time and was barely tired by the time things wrapped up at 1am. Thor tried to persuade me into sharing a beer with him but I feigned concern over having gotten sick earlier and he didn’t push. I picked at a few slices of fresh bread they had sat out for us and was thankful they stayed down. We walked around enjoying the cool night air after the pub closed and didn’t get back to the hotel until almost 4am. I checked in on Valkyrie who was passed out in our room, fully clothed and stretched out across the bed. I left her a quick note reminding her to check her phone and letting her know I was spending the night in Thor’s room. 

Back in his room Thor was sitting on the bed wearing a nervous expression. “Are you sure you want to share my bed?” he asked. 

“I will be fine, trust me. How many nights have we shared a bed? It was only once I didn’t dodge in time.” I assured him.

“If it happens again we will need to consider other sleeping arrangements.” 

“Let’s worry about that if it ever happens. For now, I’m coming to bed.” 

Thor’s expression was still concerned but he pulled me close when I laid down next to him. I fell asleep to the feel of him stroking my hair and was finally able to sleep deeply for the first time since he had left.


	4. Chapter 4

We slept clear to noon the next day and had barely any time for sightseeing before we had to meet up to go home. Thor had a dreamless night, his first in a long while, and woke up very ready to head home. We arrived at the pick up spot half an hour early just in case and Valkyrie joined us shortly after. I encouraged Thor to share better memories of his father while we waited for Strange to appear. He thought for several minutes and finally thought of how his father used to let him sit on the throne when he was a little boy and pretend. It was only a few times but he loved it. Once he started talking more memories surfaced. He was telling us about the first time his father took him and Loki through the bifrost when the golden swirling portal opened up a few yards away.

“Everyone coming?” Strange asked getting straight to the point.

Valkyrie strode right through ignoring him. 

“Yes, thank you for finding him and getting us here. I don’t know what we would have done without your help.” I told him as we stepped into the portal. His response was a curt nod but he followed us through.

Back in our yard at home Strange and Thor exchanged a brief handshake and with that Strange was gone. Being back home really let it sink in that Thor was back. I smiled up at him as he looked around, “Welcome home.” 

“I should have never left.” he said with a frown.

“You’re back now, that’s all that matters. Let’s get you inside and we can get changed. And get food. I’m so hungry again.” 

Thor chuckled and followed me into the kitchen where I started opening cabinets trying to find the box of crackers I had opened already. Valkyrie was in the dining room dismantling the arts and crafts station, the sound of paper crumpling echoing through the quiet house.

“What do you want to drink?” Thor asked opening the fridge. 

“We have a pitcher of tea on the top shelf, I’ll take a glass of that.” 

I located the crackers at last and turned around to see Thor staring at the fridge door. His head was tilted slightly, his eyes squinted as he tried to make something out. I followed his gaze and realized what he had seen. The sonogram photo was hanging proudly, held up by a little heart shaped magnet, on the fridge door. There was no missing the “Baby Kyalan” tag on the top of the photo. Valkyrie had insisted on hanging up the first picture of her little niece or nephew as soon as we got it. 

“Thor, I can explain.” my heart was in my throat. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, I thought despairingly. I just needed a little while longer to call Dr. Grant and get him settled in. 

He ran his forefinger across the image and turned to me with an unreadable expression, caught somewhere between fear, hope, and confusion. “Is it…?” he trailed off. 

I joined him at the fridge, taking the pitcher out of his hands and setting it on the counter. 

“I was going to wait until we were more settled in but I guess we’ll just do this now.” I took a steadying breath, bracing myself before I continued, “I got a call from the hospital the morning you left. My blood work came back with an unexpected result, it appears we’ve had a little intruder in my tummy for about five weeks now. I saw the doctor earlier this week and everything is fine. They-” I stopped short as Thor fell to his knees. 

He pulled me to him by my waist, pressing his head against my stomach. “We’re going to have a child.” 

“We are. I know it’s sooner than we planned, apparently the birth control didn’t work. I’m due towards the end of October so we do have a little time to get ready.” 

Thor looked up at me, tears freely falling, “You’re giving me a child. Our child. Timing be damned, we’re going to have a baby!” 

I knelt down next to him to wrap arms around him. “You’re happy?”

“Of course I am happy! A child is the most precious gift in the world.”

I clung to him, so relieved by his reaction. 

“Why didn’t you tell me when you first arrived yesterday?” he asked hesitantly.

“I didn’t want you to come racing home just because I was pregnant. I had no intention of keeping it from you, but I needed to be sure you were coming home for me, not because you felt trapped or obligated.”

“But what if I had refused you? Oh gods, I could have missed out on the best thing in my life.” It was like someone had knocked the wind out of him and he pressed a hand against his chest. 

“No, Thor, I would have told you. I would never had kept a child from you. But I couldn’t risk your feelings towards me and us being tangled up with your desire for children.” 

“I should never have left. You should not have had to go alone to your first appointment. I will go with you to all others and be by your side when we welcome the little one into this world.” 

“I wasn’t alone, Val went with me. She took very good care of me. You can go to every other appointment now that you’re back though.” 

“And you’re five weeks along?”

“Yes, from the best we can tell.”

“You were only back two weeks at that point. I should have known it wouldn’t take long. My father would be proud.”

“Ohh-kay. Enough of that. You can be all proud and macho later. I need to get off this floor and get something to eat. The intruder is hungry and if I wait too long I’ll be sick again.”

“I’m sorry my love, here let me help you up.” Thor jumped up and lifted me up onto my feet. “So, you’re calling it the intruder? That sounds harsh.” 

I laughed, “Yes, for now I suppose. It was certainly unexpected and it just stuck after I said it once to Val. We won’t know if it’s a boy or girl for another seven weeks.” 

“I will be pleased with either as long as it is healthy.”

“Me too, but if I had to pick, I would love nothing more than to give you a son.” 

“A son would be an unbelievable blessing. Now please sit down and eat something. You need to keep your strength up.”

“Oh no. Don’t you start smothering me too. I won’t make it five months of you and Val trying to treat me like I’m made of glass.” 

Thor grabbed my waist, picking me up and putting me down to sit on top of the kitchen island. He poured me a glass of tea while he spoke, “It is my job to ensure you and the baby are well taken care of.” He handed me the glass and his eyes sparked with realization, “Ah! No wonder you were evasive yesterday when I accused you of having put on weight! You little minx, you knew the cause. And I’m assuming your vomiting at the pub was morning sickness too.”

I nodded, “It was so hard not to tell you yesterday. I honestly hadn’t noticed a thing until I was weighed at the doctor’s office. I’ve put on a respectable four pounds so far despite the morning sickness. The doctor said it was just right considering where I’m at. Though now that I’m aware of it, I did notice the start of a little bump.”

“That little bump is going to be a big bump pretty soon. I cannot wait until you are showing more.” Thor made a strained, throaty noise of desire, “Seeing you glowing and swollen with our child. It’s more than I can take.” He moved so he was standing between my legs and I could feel his reaction pressed up against my leg. 

“You have company, you know?” Valkyrie called out from the doorway. 

“You don’t count as company.” Thor grumbled lightly at her.

Valkyrie ignored him, “So he knows then?” 

I nodded, “Yes. Someone felt the need to put the sonogram picture on the fridge and gave it away.” 

“Oh come on now, it’s baby’s first picture. It had to go up. I’m putting my copy on my fridge as soon as I get back.”

“Why does she get a copy of the picture?” Thor asked. 

“Because she’s completely insane. I had to keep her from running around New Asgard showing it to every single person the day she got it” 

“I’m going to be an auntie!” she protested. 

I hopped down and crossed the kitchen to give her a hug, “And you are going to be the best auntie in the world. But, for now you have a very busy life to get back to in New Asgard and Thor and I have some catching up to do.”

“Throwing me out so soon?” 

“Yes. I love you. We love you. The baby loves you. Now get out.” I stuck my tongue out at her and gave her a playful shove.

She laughed heartily but headed for the front door, “I know when I’m not wanted. But I expect updates on my little niece or nephew.” 

Thor chuckled, “She is going to spoil this child rotten and teach it to fight the second it’s strong enough to hold a weapon.”

“I would expect nothing less from her.” I agreed.

“Can I get you something more than crackers, my love?”

“Maybe in a bit. I’d much rather go upstairs for a shower and get changed out of these day old clothes.” 

“Your wish is my command.” Thor scooped me up in his arms and headed for the stairs.’’

“Thor! Put me down. I’m perfectly capable of walking.” 

“Let me enjoy myself, woman.” He gave my bottom a soft pat and I couldn’t hold in the giggle that bubbled up. I stopped protesting and let myself enjoy being back in his arms. Thor carried me into the bathroom, setting me down next to our large whirlpool tub where he started the water for our bath. I stripped down and enjoyed watching him do the same. He poured a large capful of lavender bath oil into the tub and then took me in his arms as we waited. “I’m so glad to be home.” He murmured. 

“Me too. And I’m sure our little intruder agrees too.” I gave him a grin, I was enjoying watching his face light up when I mentioned the baby. 

“Yes. We aren’t alone in here, are we?” Thor released me and knelt down on the bathroom tile, pressing his wide palm against the lower part of my stomach that had just the slightest additional roundness to it. He kissed it gently and started talking directly to it, “Hmm, what do you think about a bath little one? We need to help your mother relax. I put her through a lot this week. You behave and let her eat something today too. We need you to grow big and strong in there.” 

My heart was so full watching him talk to our child. It was far too early for that but he either didn’t know or didn’t care. I stroked his hair and let him talk to the baby while the tub filled. Our child was going to be so loved. 

When the tub was full we turned on the jets and entered the bath. It was exactly what we both needed and I was so relaxed by the time we were done, I felt like a whole new person. 

“So, what do you want the baby to call you?” I asked Thor as we were drying off. 

“I do not want to be a ‘father’ like my father was. It’s so formal. I want a better relationship with our child. What did you call your father?”

“Just the standard dad. When I was younger I called him daddy. That’s pretty common.” 

“Daddy. I like that actually. It sounds so much kinder. What about you? What does that make you then? Mommy?”

“I had thought so but the doctor said mama at my appointment and, maybe it’s just hormones, but my heart just melted at that. I think I would rather be a mama.”

“I love it. You will be such a good mama. And they will just have to be patient with daddy while he figures everything out.”

“You’ll know what to do when the time comes. It’s biological. Don’t add that to your list of worries.” 

“What about their name?” Thor asked as I was upside down towel drying my long hair. 

I flipped my head up, “Who’s name? The intruders?”

“Yes, the intruder’s name. We should have names picked out.”

“Thor, we have twenty three more weeks. We don’t have to do everything today.”

He picked me up, still mostly wet, and carried me into the bedroom where he placed me down on our bed. “You are going to have to let me walk at some point.” I teased.

Thor shrugged as he laid down beside me, “Eventually. Now, let me have my fun. You’ve known about our little intruder for a week, surely you’ve thought of names.” 

“I didn’t think too much. I didn’t want to get my heart set on anything before we had a chance to talk.” 

“So… what did you think of so far?”

“Well, do we want to do traditional Asgardian names or more Sajoren and Earth names?”

“As much pride as it would bring me to bestow a name of my ancestors on our child, they are to be of this world and should have a name suitable to it.” 

“We could make their middle name Asgardian? We can pick a name we like that is more common on Earth but keep the middle name Asgardian.”

“I’ve never understood the need for a second name. Such a strange custom. But that works wonderfully if you are willing.”

“Of course. And it’s a standard tradition here on Earth. We had them on Sajoren too and I know of a few other planets that adapted to the custom as well. I was thinking if it’s a boy we could use Loki after your brother and if it’s a girl we could use Frigga after your mother.” 

Thor’s breath was a sharp intake, he paused a moment before speaking. “You humble me. I would love that.”

“So we just need first names then. Let’s worry about that another day, we can do research when we have time and make lists. We need to get dressed and call Dr. Grant on Skype. I let her know last night that we were getting back today. She’s looking forward to talking to both of us” 

“Okay, fine. Let’s get it over with.”

“She really just wants to help, Thor.”

“You don’t think she’s angry with me for running off?”

“God, no. She was just as worried about you as the rest of us. I know she pushed you too hard before but she is genuinely sorry and wants to give things another try. You need to be honest with her this time when she starts pushing beyond your limits. It’s going to be a two way street. She’s going to help guide you but you need to be able to speak up when things get tough.”

“I will try. I need to be here for you and our little one.”

“And we need you here too. Now come on, get up and dressed.” I jumped up and scampered away before he could try picking me up again. Thor grumbled but finally got up as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay lovelies, this is it for now. I'm going to keep editing the next few chapters and will try to get them up soon. I'm working on a writing challenge, another Thor AU, and Bucky Barnes AU right now so my head is a bit full and I'm doing my best to keep things moving. 
> 
> I'm also over on Tumblr as Ethereal Waif Goddess if anyone wants to chat on there!


	5. Chapter 5

As expected the call with Dr. Grant ran well past our timeframe. There were lots of apologies all around and promises for better communication. Thor agreed to start twice a week sessions with smaller goals. Dr. Grant wanted to try a more goal oriented approach with the baby on its way. They would still dig into his past when things surfaced but the focus was more on identifying current triggers and improving his reactions to them. 

The new strategy worked well for him and after two weeks Thor’s nightmares had almost completely stopped and he was smiling more again. It helped that during that time I had started to truly show and all he could think about was the baby every time he looked at the gentle swell of my bump. Thor had also busied himself helping Maurice and the guys around the farm again. Working with the horses soothed him and despite my initial hesitation of owning a horse farm, it was turning out to be a good decision. 

The morning of my follow up appointment Thor had yet another Skype session with Dr. Grant and I was thankful for the distraction. I was futilely going through my summer clothes trying to find a pair of shorts that would button and having no luck. I flopped back on the bed with a groan of defeat when I heard Thor’s laugh from the doorway. 

“Really? Laughing at the pregnant woman?” I accused. 

“Oh yes,” he admitted, “I am definitely laughing at my pregnant woman.” 

“I don’t have any shorts that fit.” I pouted, being playfully dramatic. 

Laughter rumbled from Thor’s chest, “Really, I wonder why?” 

“Well you see, I have this man who keeps pampering me and trying to feed me and not let me do anything strenuous. And a best friend who is in cahoots with him.” 

“Ah yes. That must be it. It could not possibly have to do with a tiny little intruder in your tummy.” Thor took the opportunity to flop down on the bed next to me, making me bounce like crazy. I giggled and he scooted closer to me. “Hello little one.” He addressed my little bump while rubbing soft circles over my skin. “You’re doing great in there. Doing exactly what you are supposed to. And you,” he moved up to press a kiss on my forehead and address me, “You are doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing too. Pants be damned, you have lots of lovely things that still fit.” 

I gave him a half smile, “I know, but it’s just so fast. I’m over a third of the way through now. I’m definitely glad to be past the morning sickness though.” 

“It does seem fast. We should get you some of those shorts I saw online. The ones with the stretchy tops?”

“Why on earth were you looking at maternity pants?” I couldn’t suppress my laugh. 

“You had left a page up for some clothing store on the laptop. I started scrolling through and noticed they look very comfortable.” 

“Oh, yeah, I was looking the other day before we went up to visit the horses. We could stop and check out some things on our way back if you’re up to it. The mall isn’t far from Dr. Baker’s office.”

“Then we will do that. I think I’m up to it and I would love to get you clothing you can grow into. You know, I was a very large baby and this little one will likely be the same. Big and strong.” 

“Yes, sweetheart, I know. You've told me before. But remember the baby is half Sajoren too. We could have a tiny little girl.”

“Asgardian bloodlines run strong, but we shall see. We’re going to be late, do you want me to leave you alone to finish arguing with your clothes?” 

“Jerk.” I stuck my tongue out at him. He was right though and I got up to get changed. Anything with a button was not worth trying so I pulled out a set of workout clothes and got ready for the appointment. 

Thor was too distracted being excited over the baby to worry about going out. I noticed halfway to the office that he had forgotten his gloves but didn’t want to risk mentioning it. He was completely attentive throughout the visit and we got another sonogram picture for the fridge. Everything was going smoothly and we could find out the gender in three more weeks. Thor was determined to pick names in advance and was scrolling through lists of names on the way to the mall to make a list of his own. Some of his choices were cringe-worthy but I didn’t give him any input since we would be discussing them later anyway.

The mall trip was easier than I expected, the shop was right by the entrance and we were the only ones in the store. The overly helpful sales woman was gushing over me the second we walked in and I started to understand why Thor was uncomfortable around fans, the attention was overwhelming. Thor was a very helpful shopping partner as well, he rustled through the racks of clothes picking out things he thought I would look nice in. Most of the shirts he selected were a little low cut but he was enjoying my gradually increasing bust so I wasn’t surprised by his choices. The pile at the cash register grew and grew much to my dismay.

“Thor, enough.” I told him he as he placed yet another maternity bra on the counter.

“But you should have one for every day of the week.” he explained.

“I don’t need that many, really. Besides, I’m only going to wear this stuff for a few months. We don’t need this much. Some of my old clothes will still fit just fine.”

“Well, you’ll only be wearing them a few months this time, but what about next time? Or the time after that? You will get plenty of use out of these if I have any say in it.” he grinned devilishly as he pulled me into an embrace, tucking his face into my neck to draw a line of kisses down my throat. 

“Hey, we’re in public.” I protested, pulling him away before we could be any more inappropriate in front of the poor sales girl who was ringing up our mountain of clothes. “And let’s actually have this little one before we start planning the next.” 

“What is that Midgard expression? I’ve been told some people find it offensive but I love it. Something about feet and kitchens?”

I couldn’t hold in my snort of laughter, “Pregnant, barefoot, and in the kitchen.” 

“Yes, that’s the one. I love that.”

“It’s an archaic expression husbands would use to describe how they wanted their wives to be. Basically saying they were trapped and caring for them.”

“Well, I don’t need to trap you, but I like it.”

“Barbarian.” I teased.

“Absolutely. And speaking of wives, when are you going to become mine? We should take care of that before the baby comes.”

The sales girl stopped mid-scan, staring at him shocked. I was likewise wide eyed and surprised. 

“Shouldn’t we talk about this later?” I said with a forced smile, trying to change the subject. 

“Well we are engaged, are we not? It’s just timing. I want you to be my wife before you are the mother of my child. This is a simple matter.”

The sales girl slowly started scanning items again, clearly engrossed in listening to us but trying to hide it. 

“Sweetheart we can set a date later at home. Not while we’re out clothes shopping.” 

“You are always the reasonable one. Alright, we’ll discuss it at home later. But it’s going to be soon.” 

“I know.” I said giving him a kiss to placate him. 

Thor returned to his baby name search on our way home, only stopping long enough to place his order at the drive thru. Back at Beau Terre he dutifully loaded all of my bags up to our room for me to sort out later. The only thing he would allow me to carry in was our bag of take out. 

“So, which do you want to pick first? The names or the wedding date?” Thor asked as he doled out our food at the kitchen table. He could be so determined when he set his mind to something. 

“You’re not even going to let me eat first, are you?” I grumbled. 

“You need to eat. Eating comes first. But we can certainly have discussions while we eat.”

“Uh huh. Okay, let’s do wedding first. Are we doing a civil ceremony down at the courthouse? We could snag Val and whoever and just call it a day.” 

“I was thinking we could have it in New Asgard, by the sea. The people will want to be part of this wedding. I may not be their ruler but I am still technically their King.” 

“But we were going to wait on that. We don’t need to put that much stress on you right now.”

“I’m excited about the prospect of marrying you, love. I want you to be my wife. I’ll be fine if we do a simple, outdoor ceremony.”

“I know you’re saying that, but honestly Thor, I’m afraid to risk it. I don’t want to lose you again. I know you’re doing better going out in public but what happens if it gets to be too much again?” 

“You won’t lose me. I will be here for you and our child no matter what, you have my word. I was foolish before but I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Can I make you a deal? We go down to visit Val tomorrow and see how you do. We can formally announce the pregnancy and everything. If it goes well, and you’re still doing okay the next day, then we’ll set it up.” 

“That sounds fair enough. I’ll text Valkyrie now and let her know we’re coming. I hope she kept her word and did not share our good news yet.” Thor started rapid fire texting from his phone, squinting at the tiny screen as he typed.

“I think if she hadn’t we would have heard from people by now. And besides, she wants to keep herself in our good graces so she gets lots of visiting time with the baby once it’s here.” 

“True. It’s going to be a very big deal when we announce it. This child is going to be royalty to them. I might have given leadership over to Valkyrie but my family line has been the only Kings and Queens the Asgardians have ever known.” 

“Yes, but at least they won’t have the impending burden of the crown like you had. Valkyrie has done a wonderful job creating a new political system there.”

“She did and I’m grateful to her everyday that I am free of that burden.” Thor’s phone chirped and he checked the message, “That’s Valkyrie, she’ll see us tomorrow at ten o’clock. She’s already having a town hall meeting at that time so we can make the announcement at it.” 

“Perfect. What dates are we looking at then? We need to give her a few to work with.”

“How about next weekend?”

I stopped mid-bite with my sandwich, “Seriously Thor?”

His blank face cracked into a grin, “Kidding. We’ll need some time to plan. What about a weekend in August?”

“Way too hot. We’ll both be melting in the sun.”

“September?”

“It should start cooling off but I’ll be so pregnant by then.”

Thor’s gaze took on a predatory gleam, “I know.”

I tossed my crumpled napkin across the table at him, “Stop that. We can do September but if you have to roll me down the aisle it’s your own fault.” 

Thor chuckled, “Not a problem my love. I will carry you if needed.”

“I have no doubt you would. It’s settled then. Providing everything goes well tomorrow, we’ll tell Val to pick a weekend in September that works for New Asgard.”

“Once we have the date I’ll call the guys and make sure everyone can come.”

“I’m sure they will. Now, what’s a girl gotta do around here to get a nap?” I yawned loudly and stretched in my seat. 

As expected, Thor took full advantage of the opportunity to coddle me, “Not a thing, my love.” he said scooping me up in his arms, “I’ll take you upstairs and then attend to this mess.” Thor carried me upstairs to our room where he cleared the shopping bags from my side of the bed and gently laid me down. How such a caring, sweet man could ever doubt his potential parenting skills was beyond my comprehension. “I’m going to head out to work on the garden once I clean up downstairs. I want to get the new fencing up before any more rabbits get curious about our plants. If you need me just call my phone.”

I smiled up at him, “Thanks sweetheart. I’ll be fine. Love you.”

“Love you.” he echoed planting a kiss on my forehead, “And I love you too.” he moved down to plant a kiss on my little bump as well. 

I giggled as he gave me a rakish smile and headed out. Every time I thought I couldn’t possibly love him more he proved me wrong. I was so grateful he was working harder and being patient with his therapy. He deserved so much happiness and I was going to do my best to ensure he found it.


	6. Chapter 6

Our visit to New Asgard was not off to a good start. We had left Beau Terre at 8am for the ninety minute drive south to the little seaside community. It was early for Thor but I promised him a frappuccino on the way. The Starbucks stop was the first issue, their blender was down and Thor had to settle for an iced black and white mocha instead. I assured him we would make another stop later to get him his promised frappuccino, he hadn’t had his favorite drink since the day we moved and had been looking forward to it. 

The second issue was traffic. We were not expecting standstill traffic as we merged onto the main highway and we found ourselves stuck in the middle of a traffic jam. I clicked on my navigation app and found there was an accident five miles down and there was no exit to get off at until after the affected section of road. We crawled along for over an hour until we passed the accident. Our drinks were long gone and we were both restless. Thor fidgeted against the collar of his dress shirt, finally opening a second button. He was dressed smartly for the occasion in a pale blue collared shirt and khakis. I matched him a pale blue dress with an empire waist which emphasized my small bump. Thor had worried about photos being taken and wanted to ensure he looked presentable. 

I called Valkyrie to let her know we were doing our best but would likely be half an hour late at the rate we were going. She assured us she had actual town news she could fill the time with until we arrived. 

We arrived at last, harried and twenty minutes late. The second Starbucks stop was passed up in an effort to save time and twice Thor had given me concerned looks as I weaved through traffic trying to get slightly ahead. I pulled him in for a quick hug outside the town hall building, “You sure you’re ready for this?” I asked him. I searched his blue and brown eyes as he paused to consider my words before responding.

“This child is a blessing and our people deserve to share in our joy.” he said finally. 

“Okay, let’s do this thing.” I gave him a quick kiss and opened the large wooden door to the meeting room. 

The room reminded me of a school gymnasium and it was packed full of people in folding chairs. Up on the stage Valkyrie was speaking into a microphone about the importance of adhering to a set schedule for volunteer work to help keep up the community garden. Her face broke into a huge smile as soon as she spotted us, “And our guests of honor have arrived.” she announced pointing at us, “Everyone, please help me welcome our King and his bride to be.” 

The people stood up immediately out of respect and the room erupted with noise as people welcomed us all the way down the long main aisle. Thor was a natural leader whether or not he wanted to admit it, stopping at each row along the way to shake hands and thank people for their warm welcomes. He may not have been their ruler but he still held their respect as a king. 

We made our way up onto the stage next to Valkyrie who greeted me with a hug and Thor with a hearty handshake. He took the microphone from her hand and looked out at his people. The lights on the stage were intensely bright I could see beads of sweat forming along his hairline. I tucked myself against his side, hoping the contact would help steady him. His smile was warm but there was a certain set to his eyes that made me worry he was getting overwhelmed. I smiled out at the crowd, unsure how I was supposed to be acting but figuring I was going to do whatever I needed to, to ensure Thor made it through the meeting. At least outwardly we looked like a polished royal couple. 

“Thank you for the warm welcome.” he said genuinely, “I am so happy you all included us in your town meeting today. It has been a long time since I addressed my people and I have to say, it feels good to be back up here.” Applause rumbled through the crowd and I watched him, in awe of how naturally he filled this role.

“I want to start by thanking your incomparable leader, Brunhilde Valkyrie, for taking over the leadership of New Asgard. I cannot imagine what I would have done without her. Valkyrie is one of the finest people I have ever met and she has done more for this community in the past few years than I ever could have in a lifetime. And it is thanks to her that I am able to live a life I had scarcely dared to dream of. New Asgard no longer needs a King to rule over it. It needs leaders with great ideas and honorable hearts. Your beloved Valkyrie fills that role in spades. Now, I’m sure everyone is wondering why we’ve intruded upon your meeting today. As you are aware this beautiful woman here has agreed to be my wife. We are planning a traditional Asgardian wedding to be held here and we hope that you will all be a part of it. We will be working with Valkyrie over the next few months to smooth over the details and will let you know once we have a date.” Another round of applause started with several people cheering. 

“Also,” Thor continued, “Not only have I been blessed with a beautiful, kind, loving woman but the Norns have felt it fair to bless us both with a child.” The crowd was so still for a heartbeat it was like the entire room froze. A second passed and someone let out a loud cry of “Long live the King” which was quickly echoed, followed by cheers and applause. Thor was positively beaming as he pressed a hand against my rounding stomach. I smiled up at him, so happy he was able to enjoy this moment with his people. He leaned down to give me a long, tender kiss which only inflamed the already joyous crowd. After a few moments of the ruckus Thor continued, “The child is due at the end of October and we are so happy to share our joy with you all. We will have lots of ultrasound photos to share with you all next month that Valkyrie will be posting on the town website. We will be sure to make another announcement when we find out the gender at that time as well. Now, I will turn things back over to Valkyrie.” Thor handed her the microphone and she shook her head as the crowd continued their celebrations. 

“I suppose that’s enough for today. You completely derailed this meeting, Odinson.” she joked, “Thank you everyone. Please be sure to sign up at the right side of the stage for park cleanup this Sunday on your way out.” 

Valkyrie ushered us off the stage with her so we could talk for a moment. “And you say you’re not a King. You had the crowd eating out of that giant paw of yours. And look at the two of you: power couple goals.” she said giving him a playful punch on the arm.

Thor blushed, tucking his hands in his pockets bashfully. “It is not hard to share good news.” 

“Whatever you say, your grace. Those people would still pick you over me any day of the week. I’d worry about the competition but I love you two too much to kill you off.” 

“Three.” Thor corrected with a glare.

“Ah yes,” Valkyrie turned her attention to me and came at me with hands out to rub my small bump. She shifted into a sing song tone as she addressed it, “How is my little prince or princess doing, hmm? Our little intruder doing well in there? Auntie Val can’t wait to know what you are, then she can start buying you things.” 

I laughed and called her out on her lie, “I know you bought that yellow ‘Auntie loves me’ bib from Target already. Don’t try lying to the intruder.” 

Val rolled her eyes at me, “That hardly counts. But, speaking of buying things for our little bundle of trouble, when are we doing a baby shower?”

“I don’t even want to think about it until after the wedding.”

“Fine, one thing at a time. When can I start planning the wedding?”

It was my turn to roll my eyes, “For a warrior you certainly love planning parties.”

Valkyrie’s only reply was to stick her tongue out at me.

“We’ll give you an idea of dates late this week. Let’s get through today before we make any decisions, okay? I need this guy at the altar with me and if we burn him out before then we’ll be getting married on our couch.” 

Valkyrie cracked up and Thor raised an annoyed eyebrow at the pair of us, “I’m right here” he groused. 

Valkyrie looked as if she was about to sass him right back but a little brow haired girl approached us timidly. She couldn’t have been more than five and she held a chain of little blue flowers in her small hands. “Excuse me, your grace.” She said in a soft, high voice. 

“Yes, my lady. How can help you?” Thor asked kneeling down to make himself closer to her height. 

“If you would permit it, I would like to gift this flower chain to the future queen.” Her words were so proper and precise, it was clear she had practiced what she was going to say. A woman stood a few feet away watching on with pride. The little girl looked over at her mother, making sure she had done well, and the woman gave her an encouraging nod.

Thor gave the girl his megawatt smile and her cheeks flushed pink as he spoke, “Of course, my lady. This is the most beautiful flower chain I have ever seen. Who made this stunning creation?”

Her little voice became even more high pitched and her cheeks burned hotly, “I did, your grace. I made it just this morning with my mother.”

“You are quite talented. My bride to be will be lucky to have something so beautiful to wear. Go ahead, little one. Give her your gift.”

I stepped over next to the little girl and knelt down as well. She stared at me with wide eyes for a moment and then remembered what she was supposed to be doing, “This is for you, your grace.” She held out the flower chain with shaking hands. 

“This is so lovely, thank you.” I told her. “My name is Mia. What’s yours?”

“Annabel.”

“You did this all by yourself?” 

“Most of it, yes. My mother had to help with the scissors a bit, but that’s all. She can make all sorts of pretty thing with flowers.”

“That’s wonderful. You know, I heard that in Asgard the ladies wear flowers and jewelry in their hair for weddings. You are so good at this, you should help with my flowers for the wedding. What do you think?” 

The little girl looked like she was going to cry or scream in excitement, “Yes.” She squeaked.

“Wonderful. Ask your mother to talk to Valkyrie once we set a date if she’s okay with you helping me.” 

“Okay. Thank you, your grace.” The little girl nodded quickly. Out of nowhere it seemed she lost her composure and flung her small arms around me in a fierce hug. “I’m glad you are going to be our queen. You’re so pretty and nice. Like a real Disney princess.” 

I laughed at her description and hugged her back, “Thank you Annabel. You’re too kind.” 

Her mother stepped over to us to collect the little girl who appeared to have no intention of letting me go. “Annabel, let’s be going.” She said putting a hand on her shoulder.

The little girl looked up at her mother, bottom lip folding out, “Okay mother.” She said sadly.

“She’s delightful.” I told her mother, “I really would love to have her help with the wedding flowers for my hair. She said you do flower designs, have you done weddings before?”

The woman seemed surprised at my interest, “Yes, your grace. I am a florist. I’ve done many weddings in my time.”

“We’d love for you to do ours. Once we announce a date please talk to Valkyrie. I would love for both you and Annabel to be part of our big day.” 

“We would be honored. Thank you, your grace. Come along now Annabel. We’ve taken up enough of their time.” 

“See you soon.” I gave Annabel a little wave as they headed off. 

Thor came over and wrapped an arm around my waist, “Watching you with them makes me think of my mother. She was an amazing Queen to the people. You’ll be just like her in that way.”

“Hormones.” I warned him shakily as tears pricked at my eyes. 

“I’m sorry, love. But it’s true.”

I sniffled, determined to keep my composure, “I think it’s the nicest compliment ever.”

“Oh come on you two.” Valkyrie interrupted, lightening the mood, “You have hundreds of other people who will want to fawn over you too. Let’s start making our way out or you’ll be here ‘til tomorrow.” 

Valkyrie was right, people stopped us every few feet to give us their best wishes and offer help with the wedding. Thor was polite and welcoming to everyone who took a moment to speak with us and I was amazed at how long he held up. It wasn’t until close to the end that his eyes started to appear fatigued. We darted into Valkyrie’s office as soon as I saw the opportunity and she locked the door behind us.

“You certainly draw a crowd.” Valkyrie said with a long exhale. 

“They love him.” I explained simply before I turned my attention to Thor. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”

Thor had is eyes closed as he leaned against the wall, “I’m okay. This was good, really good. I’m just a little worn out.” 

“You were amazing with those people. I’m proud of how well you held up. I know it can really wipe you out, but you were so good with everyone. You are a great king, Thor.” 

“In title only.” He sighed and rubbed at his face.

“No, in action too. You don’t have to lead them to be a great King. You just have to listen to them, respect them, genuinely care for them, and make the right decisions for them. Like when you picked Valkyrie to take over, you made the right call for yourself and your people. You won’t lead like your father did but you are doing this in your own way and that’s perfectly fine. I know you were born with the title guaranteed but you have absolutely earned it.”

“Smart woman.” Valkyrie chimed in while Thor busied himself with wrapping me up in his arms. 

“My woman.” He said possessively. 

Valkyrie chuckled, “Yes, you Neanderthal. She’s your woman. There’s a mini version of you in her tummy to prove it too. Oh gods, can you imagine if you have a little carbon copy of this one?” She shuddered dramatically, “I would be forced to move in with you to help wrangle the pair of them.” 

I grinned, “I don’t know Val. I kinda like the idea of a mini Thor running around. He’d be so precious.”

“You say that until he throws his first tantrum and it rains so hard your garden washes away.” 

Thor glowered at Valkyrie, “It was fifteen hundred years ago, ancient history Brunnhilde.”

She whipped around to match his expression at the utterance of her first name, “Watch it with the B word, Odinson. The whole kingdom heard about that little incident anyway.”

“It was one poorly planted rose bush. One time. I was barely out of diapers.”

“It was the Queen’s new favorite rose bush the way I heard it.”

I was amused by their banter and dying of curiosity, “I have to hear this one.” I begged.

Thor groaned, “Please keep in mind I was very young.”

“Oh please let me tell it.” Valkyrie insisted, “It’s not like you remember it and I heard it from your mother’s guard directly. Now that was a beautiful woman. Bronze skin and legs up to her ears... Where was I? Oh yes, this one’s melt down. The way I heard it was Thor and Loki were playing in the royal gardens and poor Queen Frigga found the pair scuffling. Loki had wrapped himself around Thor’s leg and was trying to bite his foot off. This was before Loki learned to stab things. Frigga pulled Loki off and poor little Thor went after him with a rock. Naturally, she scolded Thor for trying to retaliate and told him he was bad. Well, it must have been his first proper scolding and he melted down: full blown little boy tantrum. Our boy here, being the god of thunder and all, ended up causing one hell of a storm. It rained so hard, so fast, that it uprooted the brand new prize rosebush Frigga had received as a gift from Odin. It was so badly battered by the time they found it there was no saving it.” Valkyrie was laughing unapologetically by the time she finished. 

I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting off laughter, “That is pretty funny. Sorry love. And I love hearing stories about you as a child. Val, any other dangers of raising tiny thunder gods I should know about?”

Thor rolled his eyes, “You know it’s highly unlikely, almost impossible, that our child would have the same gifts I do. And for all we know, it’ll be a sweet little red haired girl who just wants to read all day in the sunshine and makes friends with a chipmunk.”

“Aww, you remembered when I told you about my childhood. I loved that darn chipmunk. I wish he hadn’t been so skittish. I tried everything to lure that bugger in.” 

“Of course I remembered. And either way, our child will be perfect.” 

I smiled up at Thor and gave him a quick kiss, “Of course it will be. It’ll be ours.” 

Valkyrie made a pfft noise, “Get a room, lovebirds.” She scolded.

Thor considered her words, “Yes, as a matter of fact that’s a great idea. You ready to head home, my love? I might join you for your afternoon nap today.” 

“Absolutely. Let’s head home.” 

We said our goodbyes to Valkyrie and headed back to Beau Terre.


	7. Chapter 7

A few days after the town hall meeting we were curled up on the sofa watching a terrible action movie Thor had picked out when I finally conceded to picking a wedding date. The trip, while tiring, had not affected him as we feared it might. He genuinely enjoyed seeing his people again and was showing no signs of stress afterwards. Dr. Grant called it major progress and I was filled with pride for him. 

Thor had started giving me a foot massage to keep from leaving him to watch the movie alone when he pressed the issue again. I blamed my relaxed state but agreed to text Valkyrie to start looking at Saturdays in September for the wedding. She responded almost immediately with September 14th and Thor and I agreed to it. I knew it was going to be crazy planning a wedding while pregnant but Valkyrie was so excited it would be good to have help. 

“We have a date.” Thor said happily.

“We do. Now, you and Val can go crazy picking things out.” I teased him.

“You’ll be picking things out too. I give it a week and you’ll be just as wedding crazy.” 

“I’m just not a girly-girl. But I do want to marry you and I know it’s going to be wonderful.”

“So then I am a girly-girl?” 

I couldn’t stifle my laughter, “No!” I protested, “Not what I said. I just meant-”

“I know what you meant. And I will ‘own it’, as you say. I know I’ve been overly excited about planning our wedding. But I spent so much of my life fighting down all the emotions and desires my father deemed unmanly, and all it caused me was harm. I accept that I have emotions, regardless of how messy they can be. And if I want to have the most beautiful wedding with my perfect wife, then it’s going to happen.”

“I love you for that. I truly do. I don’t need some closed off meat head, I need you as you are: real and loving.”

“And that is why we work so well together. When did you want to start planning the baby’s room? We have to do that too.”

I groaned, “Too much planning.”

Thor chuckled at my theatrics, “We’re going to have to plan that eventually. We haven’t even picked out names yet.” 

I was about to respond but was cut off by Thor’s phone ringing. His eyes lit up when he checked the caller ID, “Hey Clint. How are you, brother?” 

I hopped off the sofa heading to the backyard to give him his privacy to talk to his friend. It was amazing Thor managed to isolate himself before because his friends regularly checked up on him since he had reached out to them around the time of our move. He spoke with Clint and Banner at least once a week and Korg more frequently since they played Fortnite together regularly. Not to mention how frequently Valkyrie checked in. 

Thor found me some time later, picking strawberries in the garden. “We’re going to have visitors.” He announced excitedly.

“When?” I asked as I got up from my spot in the garden.

“Two weeks. Clint and Laura are bringing the kids up the weekend after we find out the gender of our little intruder. We’ll have them Friday night through Sunday afternoon. I figured we could take them riding and maybe build a bonfire one night. What else do kids like to do?”

“I’m glad Clint was able to make it work. It’ll be good for them to get away. Did you tell him we set a wedding date? He’ll need to make sure they can come back in September.”

“I did, they won’t miss it for the world. Now, seriously, what do kids like to do here? I don’t think sparring lessons would be appropriate.”

“Well, Lila and Cooper would probably enjoy that but Clint wouldn’t be thrilled. And besides, Nate is still too young. Definitely plan on taking them out riding, we can talk to Maurice about making sure we have the right equipment for them, and a bonfire would be fun. They might like going for a hike down by the pond, and we could fish there too.”

“We need to set up rooms for them. I’m glad we didn’t try changing those around yet. We do need to start working on the one next to our room though. We’re going to need to clear it out and get it ready for a nursery.” 

“It’ll happen, love. We have plenty of time.”

“Maybe I’ll start moving things out tomorrow. Once we have the room cleared out we’ll be able to tell what furniture will fit. You know, since Laura is coming you should take her shopping for nursery things. She’s raised three children and she’ll know what we need. You should take advantage of having her here for motherly advice.” 

“Motherly advice? Really?” I chuckled.

“I have been asking Clint for fatherly advice for weeks now. He is a wonderful resource. I have learned so much from him already.” 

“That’s good. I do have a few questions Laura might be able to answer. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about this kind of stuff.”

“See, it will all work out. Now, allow me to help you with the strawberries.”

I handed him the colander and we got to work harvesting the bright red berries. We quickly realized I had been overly enthusiastic with my planting and we had more berries than we could possibly eat. Thor offered to run some up to Maurice for him to take home and he could ask him about the kids riding equipment too. I tried to cool off in the kitchen, looking up recipes online to help use up the berries. The July heat was starting to really wear me down and I was taking a long swig of water when I felt a distinct whooshing feeling in my stomach. I almost spat out my water in shock. I had felt slight flutters before but nothing like that. Apparently I was not the only one bothered by heat. I held my stomach in my hands, amazed and overjoyed I had finally felt real movement. 

Thor came back a short time later while I was rolling pie crust out on the kitchen island. “We’re all set for the kids to go riding.” Thor said as he entered the kitchen, “We had smaller sets that will work for Lila and Cooper and he suggested we have Nate ride with Clint or Laura since he’s still so young.” 

I couldn’t hold in my excitement and Thor noticed I was practically bouncing, “What are you so excited about?” He asked.

“It moved. The intruder. It really moved. Like a lot.” I blurted out all in one rushed breath. 

Thor’s face it up like the sun, “Oh, my love, that’s wonderful.” He crossed the kitchen and picked me up in a hug. Setting me back down he placed his large hands across my stomach, “Good job, little one. Keep it up. I want to be able to feel you too.” 

“It was incredible. I was trying to cool off and it was just this big whoosh feeling. So weird but so amazing. It did it a few times and then must have gotten comfortable again. I can’t wait for you to be able to feel it too.” 

“I’m so happy for you. You’ll have to let me know the next time it does it.” 

“I will. You want to help slice up the strawberries while I finish the crust?” 

“Absolutely, love.” Thor washed up his hands and got to work. I had enjoyed cooking and baking so much since we moved and Thor was slowly starting to learn too. He was surprisingly good at it, but I should have known he would be. Thor excelled at everything he put his mind to. 

“We really should pick out names before the ultrasound.” Thor commented while slicing berries. He tried and failed to look nonchalant. 

“We should.” I agreed. The movement had really driven home for me that our little intruder was growing and it wouldn’t be all that long until it’s arrival. “Are we still in agreement on middle names?”

Thor looked surprised I wasn’t pushing off the conversation again, “Yes. It means so much to me that you want to use my family’s names for our children.”

“So what were you thinking for first names?”

“I was thinking Mikael, Everett, or Finn for a boy. Isabel, Addison, or Sarah for a girl. I thought you might want Sarah for your sister.” 

“Oh, Thor.” My heart ached thinking of my little sister. “Yeah, Sarah would be perfect for a girl. So, Sarah Frigga if it’s a girl then?”

“It sounds perfect. What if it’s a boy?”

“I like all three. Which one were you partial to?”

“I liked Finn a lot. There was a great explorer in my father’s time, Finnr. It seems Midgard shortened it to Finn over the centuries.”

“That works. Finn Loki.” I rubbed my growing bump, “Well, intruder, you have a name, whatever you are.” 

“Yes, a few more weeks. We’ll find out if you are a Sarah or Finn.” 

“Did Valkyrie decide how she was doing the announcement yet? I know she had something she was working on. I said no to a party but she is definitely up to something.” 

“I told her no gender reveal party as well. Though she did set up a betting station at the town hall building. You can cast your vote, pink or blue. It was at a 60/40 split in favor of a boy when I spoke with her last. I believe there is going to be an explosion of some sort to announce it. All I know is she expects us to be there to watch it and it cost me quite a bit of money.” 

“She’s a handful. Does she even know when the appointment is?”

Thor had the decency to look chagrined, “I may have told her, yes. She expects us over that evening at eight o’clock for the announcement.”

“Why so late…? Oh, good lord. She’s doing fireworks isn’t she?”

“I think that sounds familiar. I believe I wrote a check to something Firework Creations. Pinelli’s Firework Creations maybe? I don’t really know. She was very excited and promised you would love it. If you’re willing we could find out with everyone. She said we had the option of getting a sealed envelope and giving it to the man. It’s up to you. I know we had planned on finding out during the appointment.”

“It could be fun to find out with everyone. I really didn’t want to make it into a big thing though.”

“She said the community likes having things to celebrate. I actually agree with her, it’s good for morale.”

“Well, it’s a three o’clock appointment so I guess we can wait an extra five hours to find out.”

“It will be a night to remember.” 

“That it will.”


	8. Chapter 8

Thor worked tirelessly clearing out the spare bedroom next to ours and helping to prep the guest rooms for our visitors. We still had a week and a half before they arrived by the time Thor was done but he was excited and I let him have his fun. 

I was standing in the empty bedroom next to ours, trying to visualize it as a nursery, when Thor came bounding in. 

“Guess who was just moved back to once a week sessions!” He announced. 

I pretended to think hard, “Hmm, I don’t know. Banner maybe?” 

Thor gave me an impatient look. 

“Congratulations, sweetheart.” 

Thor resumed his grinning, “Thank you, my love. Dr. Grant thinks the shock of me almost missing out on our child because I gave in to my fears was my wake up call. And honestly, I think she’s right. She said we can start weekly calls again next week but we’re sticking to the pace that’s working right now.” 

“That’s really great, I’m proud of you. You’re really putting in the work again and it’s showing.” I wanted to remind him that I would have never kept our child from him but in his mind if he stayed away he would have missed out on it. We’d had the same conversation a dozen times and I knew there was no changing that thought pattern for him. At least it was working in our favor.

“What are you up to in here? Anything I can help with?” He asked. 

“I was trying to get an idea of how we’ll set up the nursery. We have lots of space and the walls are so pale we can repaint easily.” 

“Are we sticking to a neutral color for the walls? I know furniture is pretty gender neutral, maybe we could pick out some stuff before we find out the gender.” 

“Well, if we’re planning to have more kids neutral walls are the safest bet. Maybe a nice tan or yellow color?” 

“Yes, I plan for this room to get lots of use. Whichever color you decide on will be fine.” Thor moved to stand behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist to cradle my bump in his hands. He splayed his fingers across my stomach, caressing it gently as he kissed the crook of my neck. I noticed the moment his breathing changed. What had started out as innocent appreciation of the growing life inside me had shifted and he was aroused by the feel of my body against his. I moved my long hair off to one side, giving him better access to my neck, and pressed my bottom firmly against the hardening length in his pants. Thor’s hands shifted upwards, cupping my breasts and I arched my back further against his touch. The low moan that escaped my lips was met by a growl of approval from him. 

“Take me to bed.” I requested softly. 

Thor wasted no time scooping me up into his strong arms and carrying me next door to our room. He placed me on the bed and I scooted back, reclining on my elbows so I could watch him as he stood at the edge of the bed staring down at me. There was burning desire in his eyes and it fueled my own. He adjusted the bulge in his sweatpants and I wished he would just strip down. So I took matters into my own hands. I pushed myself up so I was kneeling on the edge of the bed and I pulled the hem of his T-shirt up. He was accommodating and leaned down so I could pull it off over his head. Once his chest was bare I ran my hands across it, loving the softness of his body. Teasingly, I gave his nipples a flick with my thumbs causing them to harden and he groaned approvingly. I made my way down his stomach next. It was something he still struggled with at times, but I knew he enjoyed when I spent time showing my appreciation of it. I let my hands roam freely across the crest of his belly and down his beautifully curved sides, giving his love handles an affectionate squeeze. Thor was quick to tug off his sweatpants after I ran my index finger along the waistband. He was finally naked in front of me and I sat back on my heels for a moment to enjoy the sight of my perfect husband to be. 

“Mmph.” I mumbled appreciatively biting my lip. 

Thor’s cheeks reddened slightly and he shifted where he stood, head bowed. 

“What? Am I not allowed to appreciate my gorgeous fiancé? He’s a god you know. And a king.” 

Thor was blushing hard when he raised his head to meet my eyes, “I love the way you look at me.” He admitted. “No one has ever looked at me the way you do. Not in all my years.” 

“Then I’m lucky because now you’re all mine.” 

“I am the lucky one, truly. You are… you are overdressed.” 

“We should fix that, then.” I teased. 

Thor took the opportunity to pull my tank top off and was pleased to discover I was bra-less underneath. “You have the most beautiful breasts.” He murmured as he explored them with his hands, and then mouth. My skin was on fire underneath his ministrations and I tried to hold still but my body squirmed involuntarily. His hands roamed down to the curve of my baby bump and he leaned his head forward, his forehead against my bare chest as he caressed the bump lovingly. “You absolutely glow” he commented before moving on to the stretchy waistband of my maternity shorts. Carefully he moved me onto my back so he could pull off my shorts leaving me bare as well. I expected him to come back up to continue his exploration but instead he pushed my thighs apart and laid himself down between them. 

I knew what was coming but that didn’t stop the gasp I made as his tongue made contact with my inner folds. He leisurely ran his flattened tongue up and down my cleft until I was writhing. He chuckled and gave my clit a firm flick with the tip of his tongue. I cried out from shock and pleasure, desperate for more. He obliged and began swirling his tongue against my sensitive nub until I was clawing at the sheets and calling out his name. He pulled back momentarily from my trembling body to slip two large fingers inside my sex. My back arched at the intrusion. It felt wonderful but I wanted more of him inside me than just his fingers. 

Thor curled his fingers inside me over and over again, hitting the bundle of nerves just right so that pleasure flooded my body like lightning and I was hurtled off the precipice of a second release just moments after the first. I was beyond rational thought as Thor moved up my body, positioning himself my entrance. I felt him throbbing against me and was almost undone again. “Please” I begged mindlessly. Thor slipped himself inside me with one quick stroke and I let out a loud sigh of satisfaction. He stilled for a moment and I focused long enough to see concern on his face. 

“Are you okay? Am I too heavy on top? I don’t want to hurt…” he trailed off nervously.

“No, no my love.” I assured him. “You’re fine. Perfect, I promise.” I pulled his face down and kissed him heatedly. 

He nodded as I pulled away and started moving inside me with long, drawn out strokes. The sensation was torturous and I bucked beneath him. I was still reeling from two orgasms and felt like my body would combust if he didn’t give me another. I needed frenzied passion, not a gentleman. I was becoming more frazzled with every languid stroke until I finally grabbed his shoulders to get his attention. “Thor, harder!” I barked out desperately “You’re not going to break me.” 

Thor’s eyes locked on to mine and without a second thought he began pounding into me at a relentless pace. All restraint and caution was lost and he let himself take me with a feral intensity. My back bowed so hard as the pleasure crashed through me that I was pressed up against his chest, completely off the bed. “Yes, just like this.” I panted as my nails raked against the skin of his back. 

“Mia.” Thor uttered my name like a prayer, continuing his punishing rhythm until sweat beaded between his shoulders and trailed down the slope of his back. I was burning up beneath him and it only intensified my over sensitized delirium. I rocked my hips in time with his, my legs wrapped tightly against his waist. His hair kept falling in my face and I ran my hands through it to keep it back, enjoying the feel of it between my fingers. 

The whites of Thor’s eyes shone a little brighter but didn’t eclipse the mismatched irises and the air crackled dangerously above us. I loved when he lost control like this. There was a very slim chance of Thor actually hurting me with his power but it was still thrilling. Hairs stood up on the back of my neck and arms in response and I shivered despite the heat. I could feel his body vibrating slightly as the orgasm built within him, amplified by his raw elemental powers. The air crackled loudly again right as Thor cried out my name and found his own release. He jerked several times with the force of his own orgasm but stayed buried within me. He panted as he came back down from the high but before he could fully catch is breath again he started moving inside me just as rapidly as before. “I’m not done yet, love.” His voice was guttural and my toes actually curled with delight in response. 

I had lost count of how many times I came, my body was just lost to the ecstasy as Thor drove both of us towards another release. I dug my fingernails into his shoulder blades trying to anchor myself against the raging pleasure. Thor’s bellow was more pleasure than pain and so I didn’t let go. The air felt like it was buzzing around us and I could tell he was getting close again. I barely had time to recognize what he was doing before he was rolling my nub between his fingers and I was screaming his name over and over again. The orgasm hit me like a bullet. It was searingly painful from having been stimulated too much in too short of a time, but the pleasure was undeniable. An animalistic roar erupted from Thor’s chest as he spasmed within me again. 

He collapsed against me, all but crushing me underneath him, as he came back down. The air returned to normal and when he finally opened his eyes they had lost their faint luminescent glow. Thor pressed loving kisses down my cheek and neck before rolling off of me. He stretched out on his back next to me, his breathing still rapid from exertion. I turned my head to watch him slowly regain his senses. I was still reeling myself and my entire body felt like jello. After a few moments Thor turned his head to face mine, a satisfied smirk on his face. 

“Welcome back.” I said with a smirk of my own. 

Thor made a satisfied grumble noise, “Yes, I believe I was in Valhalla there for a moment.” 

“You and I both. That was spectacular.” 

“It was, wasn’t it?” He looked so thoroughly pleased with himself, it was adorable. I moved to curl my body against his, one arm laying across his chest. Thor shifted so he had a free hand to play in my hair and rub my shoulders. We laid contentedly together just letting time pass for a while until the cool air forced us both up to get dressed. The jello feeling was replaced by aches and sore muscles as I stood up. I groaned and Thor looked over, worried. “I’m fine. Just a little… well used.” I assured him.

Pride flickered across his face again, “That you are. I’m a little worn myself. Maybe we should take it easy the rest of the day?”

I rolled my shoulders and leaned my head side to side stretching my muscles. “Sounds like a plan to me. Still want to look at nursery furniture?” 

“Absolutely. That’s something we can do online, right?” 

“Yep. The place we got this furniture from has a website and I’m sure there are other places too.” 

“I’ll grab snacks and you grab the laptop?” 

“Deal. Meet you in the living room.”

I was nestled in my favorite spot on the sofa when Thor walked in carrying a tray with cut up fruit and olives. It was a weird snack, and I knew it, but I had been craving it all week. 

“I love you so much right now.” I said as I snatched the tray from him greedily. 

Thor kissed the top of my head, “What my queen wants, my queen gets.” 

I grinned up at him, watching him around the sofa to take a seat next to me. I pulled up the furniture company we had bought from before and we scrolled through their nursery department. We both quickly ruled out everything they had and moved on to a specialty baby website. We had it narrowed down to two very different sets. One dark mahogany and the other pale, white washed ash. We flicked between the two repeatedly until Thor finally announced the ash set was it. 

“Really?” I gave him a suspicious glance, waiting for him to change his mind again.

“Yes, I’m certain. It will look better with yellow walls.” He said decisively. 

“Agreed. I’m buying the crib, the dresser, the changing table, those pretty lamps, and that beast of a glider they had in the first picture.”

“Whatever you want my love. We should go out and get paint tomorrow. We need to get that done before the furniture arrives.”

“That works. Have you ever painted a room before though?”

Thor gave me an arrogant look, “No, but how difficult can it be?”

“Oh, sweetheart. You’ll see.”

“You’ve painted before?”

“Years ago when Sarah was little. I helped paint her room purple for her birthday.” Pain burned in my chest thinking of her and the giant hole her death had left in my heart. It was easy to understand how Thor had turned to drinking to cope with his losses. Anything to dull the pain was appealing. 

“Where did you go love?”

“Just thinking of Sarah. It’s hard not to get lost in the memories.”

Thor nodded, taking my hand in his. “I know, love. I’m here if you whenever want to talk about her. I’ve told you hundreds of stories of my family.”

“I will. Not right now, but sometime. Right now I need to get this furniture ordered.”

Thor gave me a half smile, worried but not wanting to push. 

A few clicks later we were set up for a Monday delivery and would have the whole weekend to paint. 

“Any other ridiculously expensive things you feel like buying today?” I joked. 

“I do still need a truck.” Thor said with a shrug. 

I rolled my eyes at him, “You need to learn how to drive and get a license first.” 

“Can I get a license tomorrow while we’re out?”

“You can get a permit and then once you’re ready you can schedule a test to get a real license. It’ll take some practice but you can use my car around the farm until you get more comfortable.”

Thor pointedly avoided looking at me, pulling a piece of lint off of his shorts instead. 

“What is it, Thor?”

“Maurice has been teaching me a little already.”

“What? Why wouldn’t you tell me that? Thor, no secrets, remember?” 

“I was going to surprise you. I didn’t know I needed a license at first and Maurice was kind enough to let me use his truck since I want one of my own. I was going to tell you once I was done, honest. I only found out about needing license last week.” 

I huffed a little, still slightly annoyed he kept it from me, “This isn’t a surprise type thing, Thor. Driving isn’t easy at first and if you got in an accident or got hurt… I needed to know you were doing this.” 

“I’m sorry, my love. Truly. I don’t want you to worry, I’m quite good at driving so far. I know it can be dangerous and I’ve been very careful. I didn't want to worry you and I’m certainly not practicing with you in the car until I’m better at it.” 

“I appreciate that but as your wife I’m allowed to worry. It’s part of the job. Let’s get your permit tomorrow and then keep me posted when you’re practicing with Maurice.”

“Deal.” 

I started looking for the closest DMV center to us and then home supply stores nearby where we could get paint for the nursery. Thor noticed I had moved on and he logged onto his xBox and jumped into a game. I would have complained but I had emails to catch up on and with his headphones on the house was relatively quiet except his occasional taunting and cheering. I popped yet another an olive in my mouth and got down to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright lovelies, that's all for this week! I'm going to keep working my butt off getting more ready for ya'll but it's a process. 
> 
> If you want to chat feel free to come find me over on Tumblr where I post fics and other awesome Marvel content I find. Username over there is Ethereal Waif Goddess. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Thor was very clearly unacquainted with the concept of a DMV. The centers were the same as on Sojuran, clinically bare with rows of uncomfortable plastic bucket chairs and a line that never seemed to get shorter. Thor gave up trying to cramp himself into one of the small seats after a few tries. He looked like an adult sitting a child’s table, trying to condense himself into fitting. Instead he chose to stand behind my chair giving me a brain melting shoulder rub. 

“Is it supposed to take this long?” Thor fretted for the second time in thirty minutes. 

“From my experience, yes. These places are always understaffed and covering a large area with lots of people. They can only do so much.” I explained. 

“That doesn’t seem very efficient.”

“It’s not. But that’s the government.” 

Thor didn’t seem appeased by my answer but he resumed rubbing my shoulders. He was just about to get a knot out when his number was called. I groaned my displeasure. 

“To be continued.” He assured me with a kiss on the top of my head. I pulled myself up to go with him to the window, the shift in my center of gravity making it more difficult the further along I got. 

Thor set all of his paperwork out on the counter top for the woman, “I would like a drivers permit please.” 

The frail older woman behind the counter looked up at Thor with an expression of confusion, “You look so familiar.” She said continuing to appraise him thoughtfully. 

“You might have seen my friends and I on the news a few years back.” He shrugged. 

I was shocked he offered up the information. A month ago he would have done anything to avoid public recognition. He was healing, finally. It was more than just leaving his gloves at home, or wearing only a shirt instead of the multitude of layers he had become accustomed to hiding under. Thor was making real progress whether or not he realized it. 

The old woman’s eyes lit with recognition and she looked at Thor’s application with a nod. “Ah, yes. That’s it. Mr. Odinson it's a pleasure to meet you. You just made this old woman’s day. Let’s get you set up with a permit.” 

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your assistance.” 

The woman clicked away on her computer and printed out papers for Thor to keep as well as his permit card. He thanked her again and she patted her hand over his as he reached for the papers in a matronly gesture. I held my breath, worried how he would react. Thor tensed slightly but didn’t pull back. 

The woman noticed his tensing and let go quickly. “Thank you for everything you did for our world Mr. Odinson. I have lived through several wars in my time but what you and your friends faced was incomparable. We wouldn’t all be here if it weren’t for you. I’m so glad you’re settling down here now that things are normalizing.”

“Thank you for your kind words. I have come to think of Midgard as home after all the years and it was time to set down roots.”

“Indeed, is this your wife?” 

Thor wrapped an arm around my shoulders with pride, “Soon to be.”

“Good for you, you deserve the happiness a family brings. Best of luck to you both.”

Thor thanked her again and we headed out. The home supply store was halfway home and we stopped in with a list of painting supplies I had made the night before. We gathered the rollers, tape, tarps, and pans easily but picking a color took some time. 

“How are there this many shades of pale yellow?” Thor said in disbelief. 

I shook my head, equally overwhelmed. “I don’t know but we need to just pick one.”

“What about these two? Pineapple Cream or Lemon Meringue? Why do all these colors have food names?”

“Either one is fine. The lemon one is a smidge brighter I think. And I don’t know but I’m starving again now.” 

“We can stop for something on the way home. Let’s get the pineapple one since it’s more neutral. Come on, we’ll find someone to help us and get out of here.” 

Thor quickly tracked down an employee who helped us pick out a low VOC paint type that was safe for me to be around and mixed it with the color we wanted. Thor was excitedly planning his day painting as we left and I nodded along, wondering how long it would take after he started to hate painting like everyone else. 

On the way back we stopped for tacos which I seemed to have an unlimited appetite for. Thor chuckled at my order after I added a fourth taco to the list. “You are going to eat as much as me soon.”

“I blame the little half Asgardian I’m growing in here. It has it’s father’s appetite.” I pointed at my stomach. 

“I’m sure it does. It needs it to grow big and strong.” He rubbed my bump with pride.

I could only smile back, words caught on a lump in my throat. Damn hormones kept flaring and he was going to be such a good father. It hit me every so often how lucky we both were and it was overwhelming the amount of love I felt for him.

We returned home, sated from too many tacos and ready to tackle the nursery. Laying the tape along the ceiling and baseboard was a feat with my very full and very pregnant stomach and the intruder gave me a few good whooshes in protest. Thor was disappointed he couldn’t feel anything yet but glad that I could. He also insisted I sit and rest. I sat back watching him work and reading a new book I had downloaded on my phone. When it came time to actually paint I hopped back up to show him how to roll the pain on the rollers and the best way to get even coverage. I finished the wall I had started and looked over to see Thor struggling. There were flecks of paint dotting his arms and shirt, plus a trail from the pan to the wall. He was leaving too much on the roller and I showed him again how to get the excess off. He slowly got the hang of it but it was messy and I couldn’t help but laugh as he wiped his sweating brow with a paint covered hand leaving a swipe of pale yellow on his brow. 

By the time we finished Thor was rubbing his lower back and was completely freckled by paint flecks. “You did great, sweetheart.” I told him, “Let’s give this a few hours to dry and make sure we really only need one coat. We can get you cleaned up in the meantime.” 

Thor nodded, “I could use a hot shower.”

The paint came off of him easily under the hot water and I worked shampoo through his beard making sure the paint came out of it as well. Thor returned the favor washing the little bits of paint off of me. It was hard to keep my hands off of him to get clean and not instigate something else. I had to wonder if my body would ever stop responding so readily to his. I gave his perfect ass a swat with my towel as we dried off, unable to resist. 

Thor raised an eyebrow at me, “Oh really?” 

I grinned back at him, my expression full of mischief. 

“We have a garden that needs tended to. You’re not going distract me today.”

I pouted at him but went to get dressed. I almost didn’t hear him sneaking up but at the last second I heard the soft scrape of his toes against the carpet. It was too late though and he had me wrapped up in his arms from behind with a triumphant cry. I laughed as he buried his head in the crook of my neck, sprinkling kissed across my bare shoulder. 

“Like I could ever deny you.” He said pulling me onto the bed. 

I stretched out underneath him and let him show me just how eager to please he was.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for the gender reveal??

The furniture arrived three hours late but at least it made it. After moving things around several times Thor and I finally agreed on a set up and were building the lamps when Valkyrie arrived. 

“Where are my three favorite people?” She called as she walked in the front door. 

“Upstairs in the nursery.” Thor called back to her. 

“The what?” She all but screeched. I heard her bounding up the stairs and shook my head. 

“Oh my god look at it. Look at the color, I love it. Oh the little dresser knobs are Celtic knots.” Valkyrie continued to fawn over the furniture as she walked around the room before finally flopping down in the large padded glider. “This is great you two. Seriously. I could cry.” 

I rolled my eyes and pushed her over so I could join her in the seat. It was cramped with both of us but I didn’t care. I laid my legs over hers and cuddled in. “This is my seat you lunatic.” I grumbled mildly. 

Thor watched our antics with a smile, “I’m getting a picture of this.” He snapped a few photos with his iPhone while Valkyrie and I made a bunch of different, yet equally ridiculous, faces at each other. 

“So, two more days until we find out.” Valkyrie prompted. 

“Yes, Wednesday at three.” Thor agreed. 

“And you’ll be up around eight for the announcement too, right? We need to have time to get things ready once we know the gender”

I gave her a pointed look, “Yes, Val. We’ll be there for the perfectly normal, non party, low key announcement.” 

Valkyrie glared at Thor, “What all does she know?” 

Thor shrugged but blushed, “She does not know anything for certain.” 

“Can you just trust me that it’ll be amazing? Please?” She begged. 

“I trust you.” I conceded, “But you really need to chill.” 

“Yeah sure. I’ll just be more like Korg planning the-“ her laughing words were cut short by a flailing motion from Thor. 

I looked from one to the other knowing something else was now going on. “What is wrong with you guys?” I groaned. 

“We love you?” Thor offered. 

Valkyrie nodded in agreement and gave me a loud kiss on the cheek. 

“That’s it, give me back my woman.” Thor grumbled possessively. I raised my arms so he could help me up and he pulled me against him tightly. 

“I’ll steal her yet.” Valkyrie threatened, “I do need you for a bit, Odinson. This isn’t a social call. I have more details on the wind turbines and I need you to give them a once over.” 

“Only if you go riding with me after.”

“You drive a hard bargain. I guess we’ll have to go riding.” She was clearly excited to go riding again but hadn’t wanted to pester. 

“You two go have fun and I’ll go thaw out steaks for dinner.” I told them. 

Valkyrie moaned at the word steak, “God, I love coming here.” 

I laughed at her theatrics and got back to setting up the lamps. It was good having her over. As much as Thor talked to his friends on the phone or online it was no substitute to having people visit in person. I knew he was looking forward to having Clint and his family over that weekend more than he was letting on. It would be good for him to be around the kids too. He was still working towards opening Beau Terre up for children to visit but it was still almost a year away from being feasible. We were going to be busy enough once our own little one arrived so I was a little glad there was no immediate rush to start hosting groups. 

I heard Thor and Valkyrie head out to go riding some time later and I headed downstairs to start pulling together the ingredients for dinner. 

The two days leading up to the gender ultrasound were a blur. Thor had gone off with Valkyrie to New Asgard for a day to help with the green energy project she was working on, and the rest of the time was spent getting Beau Terre ready for our visitors. We both wanted to ensure things were easy and fun for Clint’s family and us. I spent a lot of time prepping meals to freeze so we could spend more time visiting and less time cooking while they were there. Thor was incorrigible, popping in to steal bites of whatever I was working on at that moment. I swatted him away with a dish towel on several occasions, swearing we’d have nothing to freeze if he kept picking at it. 

I was a ball of nerves by the time we were on the road to the appointment. I could tell Thor was anxious too and as much as I appreciated him offering to drive, I didn’t want him driving while he was so distracted. The ultrasound technician was extremely helpful, pointing out all the little features as she went. The little slope of the intruders nose, the curve of its lips, the tiny dots of toes. I felt tears welling in my eyes as we got our first real, good look at our child. Thor had not let go of my hand since I had laid down and he squeezed it tighter as my tears fell. I felt him press his lips against my hand and when I finally looked over at him I saw tears in his eyes as well. 

“Do you want to know the sex?” The technician asked before proceeding. 

I shook my head, “No, not right now. Could you just write it down and put it in this envelope?” 

“Yes, of course. Give me one moment. I’m going to turn off the big monitor so only I can see it on my screen. 

We watched the technician’s face as she studied the image, moving the wand around my stomach to get a better view. “There we go. Yep, no doubt about it. I’ll get this written down and then we can finish up.” 

Thor gave my hand another squeeze and it was hard not to cave in and ask to know right that second. The technician handed Thor the envelope and he tucked it safely into his pants pocket. “A few more hours, my love.” He assured me. 

We left for New Asgard right after the appointment, wanting time to grab dinner before the big reveal. We made good time and Thor insisted on taking time to actually sit down at a restaurant nearby. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and sharing delicious bowls of pasta at a little Italian restaurant. Cravings had flared the second I saw gelato on the menu and I convinced Thor to share a few bowls of that with me as well. We had just enough time to walk around the coast line for a bit until Valkyrie found us. 

She waived animatedly at us as she approached, “Hey! You two ready for the festivities?”

I tucked myself tighter against Thor’s side, getting comfortable. “So much for low key, huh?”

“Like you really expected it to be? Come on now, give me the envelope. I have to go drop it off to the crew so they have time to set up before dark.” 

Thor handed Valkyrie the envelope and warned her not to peek. Valkyrie agreed and promised to let us know when the celebration started. People were set to gather as soon as the sun set and we still had a little time to enjoy the spectacular view. As the sun’s last golden rays sank below the horizon in a fiery blaze we heard the sound of music in the distance. Valkyrie text Thor asking us to head back to the town square and we left our spot along the coast. 

The town square was lit up by torches all around and a canopy of twinkling lights. The decorations were scattered around in pink and blue with the results of the betting station posted by one of the banquet tables. There were all sorts of treats set out and a band played in the far corner filling the space with lively music. Thor and I made our rounds greeting his people and accepting all the well wishes. We finally found Valkyrie who was arguing with a man holding a large video camera. She had set up a designated area for the three of us to watch the show together and had hired a videographer to capture the moment for our friends who weren’t there. I was touched by her thoughtfulness. 

Valerie’s phone lit up and she grinned grabbing the microphone. “Attention. Attention please.” She waiter for the crowd to settle before continuing. We have spent months waiting for this moment and the time has finally come. Thank you to our king Thor and future queen Mia for sharing this moment with us. The fireworks display is going to start momentarily and the color of the show will let us all know if we are being blessed with a little prince or princess in a few more months. Please sit back and enjoy.” 

“Ready?” Thor whispered in my ear as he held me tightly to him. 

I nodded against his chest, “Very.” 

The crowd was silent as the first few test flares were sent up into the night. They streaked across the inky sky in showers of white light. I don’t think either of us breathed as the second set was sent up. A heartbeat later the sky erupted in a shower of blue streaming lights. The show continued with series of fireworks all in varying shades of blue. I looked up at Thor whose face was beaming with joy. The crowd was cheering wildly below us and I pulled Thor’s face down so he could hear me. “We’re having a boy.” I said still in shock. 

Tears fell freely from his eyes and his voice was hoarse when he spoke, “You’ve given me a son.” 

I clung to him, kissing him over and over. I was unable to contain my happiness and we laughed together as the news fully sunk in. I heard Valkyrie’s cry of elation and felt her slap a hand on Thor’s back. “I bloody well knew it!” She cheered coming around to hug us both. Valkyrie kissed our cheeks before breaking away. “You’re going to have your hands full with two Odinson men.” She warned. 

“I think I’m up to the challenge.” I laughed. 

“Did either of you want to make a speech or something?” 

Thor nodded, “I'll say a few words.” He took the microphone from Valkyrie and waited for the last of the fireworks to fizzle out before he spoke. “Well, is everyone as excited as I am?” He joked with the crowd. A roar of cheers rang out across the square. “I thought as much. Thank you all for joining in our celebration today. A child is the greatest joy life can bring and it’s an honor to share this journey with all of you. I hope you will all stay awhile and help me celebrate our son.” 

The crowd continued their celebration and Thor was beside himself with happiness. I couldn’t help but stare at him as he spoke with Valkyrie and the others who approached us. I had wanted this for him for so long, this pure joy. He deserved so much and my heart sang that I was able to give him something that brought him this much happiness. It was clear he wanted to go join the celebration. To drink and cheer and be part of the fray. I gave him a nudge, “Go on then. Go join your people and celebrate.”

Thor looked down at me, conflicted. “I’m fine here with you.” 

“Thor, I see the look in your eyes. Go celebrate. You deserve to enjoy one night of fun. Go off and indulge in the ale and sweets you keep staring at. I’ll be here with Valkyrie when you get back. We can stay here for the night so don’t hurry.” 

“I love you so much.” Thor kissed me roughly, “I won’t be too long.” 

I nodded and gave him another light shove towards the celebration. I found a comfortable spot on a bench and settled in. Valkyrie checked on me frequently throughout the night, sitting down to keep me company at times. I enjoyed watching the celebration and my eyes always seemed to pick out Thor with ease. He was flush faced and weaving ever so slightly as he moved. He had definitely over indulged in the ale and from the way his shirt strained over his belly the sweets as well. I sighed watching him, glad he was letting loose and enjoying himself for once. 

The night wore on and it was well past midnight when I felt a gentle shake on my shoulder. I had fallen asleep on the bench and my neck creaked as I stretched. Valkyrie stood over me with tired eyes. “Time to collect your boy.” She said with a yawn. I found Thor slumped in a chair, he was good and drunk chatting happily with a group of equally drunk warriors. 

“And then he jumped back and sliced the beast in two using just the one dagger!” Thor exclaimed and the group laughed along with him. His eyes brightened when he saw me approaching. “There she is!” He announced while pulling me into his lap. “She’s giving me a son. Can you believe it?” 

“You’ve had a good night, haven’t you?” I asked rhetorically. Thor’s drunken grin made me chuckle. “Val set us up with a room at the inn. Are you about ready to head off?” 

“Whatever you want my queen.” He pulled me in for a kiss that bordered on indecent, his wide palm rubbing against my pregnant stomach. 

I laughed and pulled back. “Come on, let’s get you up.” I stood up and took both of his hands in mine giving him a pull to help him up. He swayed momentarily and leaned on me for support. He was so heavy but I did my best to help him. Thor waved goodbye to the group and we made our way slowly to the inn. Thor rambled drunkenly along the way about his night, the friends he made and the food he enjoyed. The stairs at the inn were a struggle but I got him up to our room eventually. I couldn’t be annoyed with him, he was so happy and relaxed. He deserved a night of fun.

I got him sat down on the edge of the bed and got undressed, folding my clothes neatly so I could rewear the home later. I turned to find Thor still dressed and staring at my nakedness. 

“Do you need help sweetheart?” I asked him. I crossed the room and stood between his wide spread legs. 

“I put a baby in there.” He rasped, his eyes blazing with lust as he rubbed his hands over the swell of my bump. 

“You did. A strong, healthy boy.” 

Thor groaned. “I need to have you. I need to feel you around me.”

“Then let’s get you undressed.”

Thor’s eyes snapped up at my words and he saw the desire in my eyes matching his own. I pulled his shirt off with no help from him. He was too drunk and distracted by my body to do anything. I let my hands glide over his skin as he did the same to me. I knelt down between his legs to unfasten his pants easier. Thor shuddered as I rubbed my hands against his belly, pushing him back slightly so I could get to the button and fly. I took my time even after I unzipped it, enjoying the view of him lost in pleasure already. I pushed him back all the way so he was lying flat on the bed and pulled off his pants. He was already hard and my desire grew as I watched him make himself comfortable on the bed. 

I quickly folded his clothes placing them next to mine. He watched me as I moved and started palming himself lazily. 

“Couldn’t wait for me?” I teased as I joined him on the bed. I pushed his thighs apart and settled down between them. Thor strained to sit up a little to see what I was doing. I wrapped my lips around him while maintaining eye contact and Thor fell back with a gasp. I enjoyed being able to worship him for a change and flicked my tongue along the underside of his length until he was gripping the sheets, his whole body rigid. 

“My love.” He panted deliriously, “My love, please. Please I need you.” 

I shifted up and moved beside him, pulling his legs together so I could straddle his lap. Leaning forward I kissed my way up from his belly to his throat, letting him feel the wetness between my legs against him but not yet allowing him entrance. He bucked beneath me as I nipped at his neck, platitudes falling incoherently from his lips. I sat back, pressing my hands into the soft yielding flesh of his belly for support and lifted my hips to slide him inside me. I dug my fingers in and let myself be consumed by the hot stretching feeling. Thor was beyond words, his large hands holding onto my hips as I began to ride him roughly. I didn’t have the patience to take it slow, I was love drunk and wanted him falling apart beneath me. 

Watching his pleasure as I rode him was a heady feeling and I slipped a hand down to play with myself not sure he was coherent enough to do so himself. I was as lost in our love making as he was and I sped up my movements pushing us ever closer to release. Finally the hot coil of desire snapped within me and I cried out his name as I came hard against him. I felt my walls clenching and spasming around him, trembling as the orgasm receded. The sensation pushed Thor over the edge and his hands gripped my hips and a roar exploded from his chest as he came. He was spent, his body shaking as he fought to calm his breathing. I collapsed on top of him, not willing to part our union but exhausted. 

Thor played with my hair for a bit until he finally rolled us over with a groan. I felt him slip out as we moved, much to my disappointment. Thor pulled my back against his chest and my body melted into his plush form. He wrapped an arm around me, cradling my bump with his hand. Within seconds I heard his light snores starting and I smiled to myself. I had wanted to give him a perfect night and was pretty sure I had succeeded. 

The next morning Thor was slow to get up. Breakfast trays had been delivered and the coffee was cooling by the time I coaxed him awake. Thor squinted against the daylight and he made a pained huffing sound. 

“Morning sweetheart.” I said softly kissing his cheek. “Did you have fun last night?”

“I had… too much. Of everything.” He moaned. 

“Aww. Poor love. You seemed to be enjoying yourself.” 

“Oh, I was. Very much so. I have not celebrated like that in many years. You’re too kind to have let me have my fun.” 

“I loved watching you take part in the party. You deserved a night to just have fun.” 

“You had a good night too?”

“Of course. Especially once we got back here.” I gave him a sly grin. 

Thor chuckled, “That was magnificent.” He sat up with another groan, holding his head in his hands. “I fear I’m going to need time to recuperate today. Did we have anything that needed done?” 

“Not at all. Let’s take our time getting ready and we’ll head home whenever. We can do whatever you want to” 

“Thank you, my love.” Thor pulled me in for a kiss and I stroked his beard lovingly. 

I hopped up to grab the breakfast trays and brought them back into bed with us. Thor read the messages on his phone to me while we ate. Valkyrie had posted the video of the gender reveal online and sent a link to everyone we knew. The remaining Avengers, the Guardians, and Thor’s other assorted friends had all sent us congratulatory texts throughout the night. Some messages were kind and sweet like Pepper’s about the joys of parenthood, and Peter Parker’s excitement over having a “little brother”. Others were joking like Quill’s suggestion that we name the baby after him, and Rocket’s comment about fearing for the universe if the baby was anything like Thor. We cuddled together reading them all and replying back from the both of us. 

Once he was fully awake Thor was anxious to get home. His actions were sluggish though as he continued to fight against the weariness caused by too much drink and food the night before. I tried to let him go at his own pace and not rush him along. It was partly my fault for encouraging him to have a night off from his usual restraint. 

Sitting in the passenger seat Thor rubbed his belly with an uncomfortable groan. “I would ask for beer to dull this aching but I fear it would only return worse later on.”

“You’re right.” I agreed, “You’ll have to deal with sobering up eventually, you might as well just get it over with after only one night of drinking. You know how bad it is coming down after a long time of it.” 

“It could be much worse. Could I persuade you to stop for a Frappuccino on the way?”

“Absolutely, sweetheart. We’ll make a stop before we get on the main highway.” 

Thor smiled and tried to get comfortable as I navigated my way through town. I was so proud of him for recognizing that one night of fun was just that, one night. While the desire to keep the delirium going was still there, it was much fainter and he knew better than actually do it. I had hoped he would recognize how to limit himself instead of relapsing and it appeared my faith in him had paid off. 

Starbucks was buzzing with early morning patrons rushing around for their coffee fix. After a quick look inside as we pulled up I opted for the drive thru opposed to navigating an uncomfortable Thor through the throng of people. Neither one of us needed that much human interaction at that moment. I ordered myself an iced coffee and let Thor lean over to place his order. For someone who complained he didn’t feel well, his order didn’t reflect it. My eye roll at his order was met by a bashful grin and shrug. I gave him a light kiss on his scrunched nose and pulled forward to the window. 

Halfway through Thor’s second Frappuccino he started grumbling about the music and I knew he was fully awake. I pulled the “driver chooses the music” card and left it on my favorite station. Thor relented, knowing he was not going to win and distracted himself with his phone. He found a puzzle game to play, making small annoyed huffing sounds every so often, but it was an otherwise quiet ride. The open highway and steady beat of my favorite music soothed my tired nerves and my mind wandered to daydreams of having a little blonde haired boy running around Beau Terre.

We were passing through the last main town before the long stretch of road to Beau Terre and I suggested we stop and pick up the last of the groceries we would need for our visitors instead of heading back down the mountain the next morning. Thor still enjoyed grocery shopping and was quick to agree. I adored his enthusiasm for small, everyday things. He was tough to reign in though as he wandered the isles picking out brightly colored boxes of kids snacks. He was most certainly thinking of himself too but insisted he wanted to have lots of traditional Midgardian snacks for Clint’s children. 

It was late afternoon by the time we arrived home and we still had a little cleaning to do before our visitors arrived the next day. Thor helped me pick up and scrub everything down one last time. It wasn’t anything drastic but I wanted to ensure the house was spotless before we had three kids running around it. I knew they would make a big enough mess to contend with and the better it was before, the less there would be to do later. Thor was so excited to see his friend again and the next day couldn’t come quickly enough.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I'm sorry it took me so long to get more chapters ready for you guys! I have felt so heartbreakingly disconnected from Thor and Mia for a while now and I've tried and failed to get back into the groove for a while. I'm going to keep going, I have a few chapters scrubbed and ready for you, but expect updates to be a bit slower than I had originally planned. Please know that I appreciate all of you hanging on while I took my unexpected hiatus!
> 
> Love you guys!  
> Ash

The morning Clint’s family was set to arrive Thor was like a cooped up puppy. He wandered around restlessly, arranging and rearranging things. I finally suggested he hop online and play a bit with Korg to distract himself. It worked and I was able to wrap up the last of my emails in peace before everyone arrived. 

At the sound of gravel crunching under tires Thor jumped up from the sofa not even bothering to pause his game and ran outside. I chuckled and picked up his headset, “Sorry Korg, Clint just arrived.” 

“Oh, good stuff. Tell everyone I say hello.” Korg replied in his typical cheery tone.

“I will.” I assured him before logging Thor off. 

I made my way outside to find Thor hugging Clint in the driveway. I don’t think he let him get more than two steps from the vehicle before he locked arms around him. Clint was a good sport though and was equally glad to see his friend. I gave Laura a quick wave as I headed down to greet them. “Can I help bring anything in?” I asked her after a brief hug. 

“No, we can let the guys take care of that. I have to wrangle this little monster before he goes exploring.” Laura said as she ruffled Nate’s hair. 

“Perfect, I need to learn monster wrangling.” I rubbed my bump wondering how much of a handful our little boy was going to be.

“You’ll be fine. Half of parenting is doing what you think is right and the other half is making it up as you go.” 

“That’s terrifying.” I laughed.

“Oh it is! But I’ve kept three kids alive so far.” 

Nate pulled on Laura’s arm, “I wanna go with dad.” He begged.

Laura looked over at Thor and Clint loading themselves up with suitcases. “Hon,” she called to Clint, “Nate wants to go with you. Do you have something he can help with?” 

Clint smiled at his youngest, “Of course. Come on over buddy. You can help your Uncle Thor and I take in these bags.” He glanced over at Cooper who was busy on his gamepad, leaning up against the rental van. “Coop, come grab a bag. You’re not getting out of helping.” 

Cooper sighed hard but went over to help the guys. 

“Gotta love those preteen hormones.” Laura joked. 

“No thank you, I’ll just pretend mine will skip that phase.” I told her. 

“Good plan. You’ve got plenty of time though. Clint said you’re due in October, right?”

“Yeah, end of the month. Why don’t we head in? I can show you around.” 

“Sure, thanks. And thank you for inviting us. This place is amazing.” Laura followed my lead to the house.

“Of course! Thor has been looking forward to this since Clint gave him a date. It’s good for him to have a little face to face friend time.”

“Clint too. It’s been tough for him since Nat… uh… well, you know what happened.” Laura’s face fell at the mention of Natasha. Her death hit every one of the team hard but Clint’s family by far the hardest. 

“I do, and it’s not something you just get over. Thor’s had a tough time of it too. Not just from the last fight, it all just snowballed on him until it was too much.” 

“I heard about it. Thank god he has you, we really worried about him. Clint lost too many people over the years with the Avengers, he was afraid of getting the call that Thor’s name was being added to the list.” 

“He was in pretty rough shape for a while there. He’s a fighter though, Thor pulled himself through this. I just gave him a little poke in the right direction.”

“A little poke… sure. If Thor is anything like Clint I know you had your work cut out for you getting him to accept help.”

I laughed, nodding, “It might have been several pokes and shove or two.” 

Laura smiled knowingly and I was filled with gratefulness that Thor had arranged their visit. I had a feeling Laura and I were going to get along very well. 

Once everyone was settled in and given a tour of the house we took them down to the pond for a walk. They had been cramped in cars and planes for the majority of their day and needed to stretch their limbs a bit. Nate lagged behind his siblings on the way back, he was tired but too old for a nap. It was barely over two miles round trip back to the house but that was enough to wear out a little boy. 

Laura fell in love with Beau Terre as we explored and she and I finally had time to get to know each other better. Thor and Clint were ahead a few steps, talking animatedly about something that had them both shaking their heads and laughing. 

“I forgot to ask you,” Laura began hesitantly, “Did Clint happen to mention to Thor about what we wanted to give you two for the baby?” 

“No, I don’t think so. Why?” I asked her.

“You can absolutely say no, I won’t be offended at all, but we wanted to give you two something really special. I started painting when Lila was little as a way to pass the time and it’s been something that I’ve been passionate about ever since. I wanted to do a mural of Asgard on the nursery wall if you would let me.” 

“Oh my god, Laura. You don’t have to do that. It would be so much work. You’re here to relax, not wear yourself out.”

“It’s not a problem, really. Painting is relaxing for me.”

“Well then, I guess we’re getting a mural. I would love to have something in the nursery that reminds Thor of his family.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re cool with this! I have a sketch of what I’d like to do back in my suitcase if you want to see it. I saw some photos and paintings that Fury was able to find for me and I think a skyline of the city from the rainbow bridge would be perfect.”

“It’s okay, let it be a surprise.” 

“Thank you for being so trusting. I was worried you would think I was a crazy person coming in and drawing on your walls.” 

“Not at all. I think it’s a really sweet gift. Earth is so different from Asgard, it’s harder for Thor to adapt here. I got lucky, Sojuran was practically Earth’s clone. I feel like I moved countries or states, not planets.” 

“Still, you lost your home and your family. That couldn't have been easy.” 

“It wasn’t but Thor made it a little easier. It was comforting to me that he knew what I was going through. I just happened to cope a little better than he did.” 

“Men never handle their emotions as well as we do. I know Clint still has a lot bottled up after all he went through. The five years we were gone was hard on him. He didn’t even think I would want him anymore when we came back.”

“That had to be hard. You seem to be doing really well now though.”

“We are. It took time, but we’ve been together for so many years, you don’t just walk away from that. Even if he can be a stubborn, prideful man sometimes.”

“He and Thor are so similar, it’s funny they weren’t closer before. I’m really glad the guys reconnected, it’s been good for them.” 

“Agreed.” Laura started to say something else but cut off by Lila shrieking that Cooper had picked up a toad and was trying to make her kiss it. Laura went to break up the squabble and Clint joined her.

Thor came back over to where I was standing to wrap an arm around my shoulders. “How are you with this heat?” He asked.

“I’m fine, it’s not too bad today. The breeze is helping a lot.”

“And how is my son?” Thor couldn’t resist rubbing the swell of my baby bump and I pressed my hand on top of his. 

“Finn is doing well. He’s demanding ice cream when we get back, though.”

“Oh really? Well then, we shouldn’t disappoint him.” 

Clint and Laura seemed to be wrapping up their scolding so Thor called over to them, “Who wants ice cream?” 

Clint and Laura both shot him a look but he shrugged, not understanding the issue. 

“You probably shouldn’t offer ice cream to children who just got in trouble.” I explained to him. 

“Oh, good point. Too late now.” He gave me a quick kiss and hurried over to pick up Nate who had plopped down on the dirt road and was all but asleep. He lifted the boy onto his shoulders and Nate looked around, suddenly more awake and interested in his new view of the world.

“Sorry about that.” I said and Clint and Laura joined me as we walked.

Clint shook his head, “It’s all good. I’ll be sure to return the favor sometime.” 

“Clint.” Laura scolded him with a swat to the arm but they both laughed. 

Ice cream before dinner was something to be celebrated according to the Barton brood and Thor was happy to make a party out of it. He was so comfortable around the kids and I loved watching him work around the kitchen, setting up a toppings station and then helping Nate fill his bowl with treats. By the time he came around to sit next to me with his own ridiculous creation his smile was incandescent. 

“Did you have fun helping Nate?” I asked quietly, leaning against his shoulder. 

“Yes. It’s amazing to think we’ll be doing this with Finn in a few years. I just can’t wait. Nate is at such a fun age.”

“It’ll go fast. But he’ll be here soon enough. We’re halfway done already.”

“So amazing.” 

I nodded and shifted closer to Thor. We sat silently watching Clint and Laura’s kids eating their creations and interacting with each other. Watching Lila with Nate reminded me of Sarah and how, because of the age difference, I used to mother-hen her more than play like siblings. Thor’s far off expression made me think he was probably remembering his own childhood watching over the kids. 

Finally, Laura started collecting bowls and the three Barton kids were running out the back door to go play. By the time she and I had cleaned up the kitchen and the kids came flying back in, dinner plans were long forgotten and Clint offered to get pizza for everyone. Thor happily agreed and Laura and I caved, not willing to put it to a vote that would inevitably be 5 to 2 in favor of pizza. 

Later that night as we finally collapsed into our soft, downy bed Thor dropped his overly excited demeanor. “I cannot believe how exhausting three tiny humans can be.” He said after a long yawn.

I made a sympathetic sound and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead, “I know, sweetheart. But you don’t have to keep going at full speed all day. You’re allowed to hang back and take a minute when you need it. Didn’t you notice how Clint and Laura would take turns every so often? It’s so they don’t burn out. You ran headfirst into everything without taking a breath.”

“I just want the kids to have a fun vacation. Clint said they were looking forward to seeing their cool ‘Uncle Thor’ again. I didn’t want to disappoint them.” 

“You could never disappoint them, and I promise you will be no less cool if you step back every so often. Maybe they’ll get more used to me if you do. We can try to swap out when Laura and Clint do, see if helps.”

“It would give us practice for Finn.” He said considering my plan, “Let’s try it tomorrow. But at the very least, I would like to try and sleep in just a tiny bit tomorrow.”

“I don’t know if they are morning people or not but I’ll be up in case they are. You get your sleep so you stand a fighting chance tomorrow.” 

“I love you.” Thor mumbled as he rolled over capturing me in his warm arms. I snuggled in and finally let sleep finally claim me.


	12. Chapter 12

I awoke Saturday to a faint scratching sound in the nursery in the early hours of the morning. The sun had barely risen and I fumbled my way sleepily going to find the source of the noise. I found Laura sketching on the wall of the nursery, the crib moved away from the wall to the other side of the room. The floor around her was covered in sheets and she had sheets of sketches and printed out pictures spread out over the diaper changing table. It looked like complete chaos to me but she obviously had a rhythm. 

The earbuds she had on must have been set to low because my gasp of awe startled her. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” She asked taking out the earbuds.

I shook my head, “No, not at all. I just happened to hear a sound after I had woken up so I came over. Did you sleep okay?”

“God, yes. I’m going to try and convince Clint to get one of those memory foam beds for our house, it was heavenly.”

“I love them too. So this is it so far? It’s so big.” 

“Yep, I still have to fine tune things but this is the basic outline before I paint. It’s not too big is it? I wanted to do as much of the wall as I could based on how tall the crib was and where it was set up.” The wall was covered in light sketches of the Asgardian skyline with the rainbow bridge running down right where we had positioned the crib. On each side of the bridge was sketched ripples of water all the way down to the baseboard. I hadn’t expected it to take up the entire wall but it was going to be stunning. I wished I could have seen Asgard before it was destroyed. It looked so beautiful, like something out of a fairytale. 

“It’s not too big at all. I love how immersive it feels. We have to keep Thor out of here until you’re done. He’s going to just love it.” 

“I’ll make sure Clint knows and he can help us keep him out of here. I should be done by tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. I don’t ride and I know you guys had planned to take the kids out today so I’ll have a few hours to really knock most of it out.”

“I’m hanging back too. I’m not risking anything with this little guy in here.” 

“Can’t blame you for that. I’ll wrap up for a bit once the kids get up. We should have a few more hours yet. They wore themselves out yesterday.”

“Oh good, that gives me time to defrost the muffins I have for this morning. Did you want coffee when I make it?”

Laura groaned, “Yes, please. I would kill for a cup right about now.” 

“Give me a few minutes, I’ll even deliver.”

Laura chuckled and called out a quiet thanks as I headed downstairs. 

It was odd how the house felt different with the Barton’s in it. Even though everyone was still upstairs, it felt noticeably fuller. I started up the coffee maker and pulled bags of blueberry and chocolate chip muffins from the freezer. It was going to be another busy day but I was looking forward to it. 

The morning slowly drug on and it was a little after nine when everyone finally woke up and headed downstairs. First a sleepily eyed Cooper came down, immediately heading for his game boy and taking a seat on the sofa to wait for breakfast. I started passing out food once all of the Barton’s were awake, Thor being the last one up would just have to scrounge for leftovers. He got lucky though and by the time he rolled out of bed we still had several muffins leftover. 

The kids were anxious to start their day and Laura shooed them upstairs to get ready while the adults took time to finish their coffee and muffins. 

Clint gave Thor a slap on the shoulder when he sat down, “Kids wore you out, huh?” 

Thor nodded, “They are very energetic.”

“That's putting it nicely. We’ll wear them out by this afternoon if we’re lucky. They were just excited to get here yesterday, they’re not like this all the time I promise.”

“It’s no problem. We love having them here. Do you still want to take them out horseback riding this morning?”

“Yeah, that’s how we’re gonna wear them out. Give it an hour or so of riding and we might even get them to lay down long enough for a movie after lunch.” 

“Please, please let us get that lucky.” Laura chimed in. 

“You working on the nursery today, hon?” Client asked his wife. 

“Yep, I was up early getting it started. I already have the outlines sketched. I’ll start painting while you guys are out riding.”

Thor looked confused and I patted his hand, “It's a surprise.” I told him, “Clint and Laura wanted to give us an early gift for the baby. I know the basics and I want you to be surprised.” 

Thor nodded, not concerned by the mystery, “Wonderful. Thank you two for whatever it is.” 

“Of course, man. You’re family.” Clint assured him. 

Moments later the kids came flying back down the stairs, fresh faced and ready for the day. Thor and Clint took them out to go riding while Laura retreated back upstairs to continue her work. I hadn’t expected to have any quiet time during their stay and I was grateful for the few hours while they were out. I took the time to look online for onesies with Avengers themes. Laura had told me the previous day about how people made clothing with all the Avengers in mind, including onesies. She had found a little Hawkeye onesie for Nate when he was a baby and Clint had thought it was hilarious. She was right and I ended up ordering two for Finn. One had Mjolnir on it and the other looked like Thor’s old battle armor. They were too cute to pass up and I hoped he would be as amused as I was. 

Laura spent the entire day up in the nursery. I checked on her a few times, running her up some sweet tea and a sandwich around lunch time. She kept insisting she was fine and having fun but I still felt badly she was devoting a whole day to our gift. By 6:30pm she was covered in streaks of blue and purple, and came downstairs to collapse next to the kids on the sofa. They were curled up finishing the last of an animated movie Lila had put on. 

“How’s it going?” I asked her from my spot on Thor’s lap. We were curled up in the oversized recliner and Thor was half watching the movie, half sleeping. Clint was doing the same on the sofa with a sleeping Nate curled up on his lap. At least Lila and Cooper has cooperated enough to let everyone chill out for a few hours. 

“Good.” Laura answered through a yawn, “A few more hours and I’ll be done. I wanted to take a dinner break and I’ll get back to it after the kids go to bed.” Laura noticed my frown, “Stop giving me that look. I’m having fun! I haven’t done a large project in ages and I’m loving every minute of it.”

“Okay, as long as you’re enjoying your vacation. I really can’t wait to see it once you’re done.”

“Tomorrow morning after breakfast for sure. I’ll finish tonight and get things cleaned up in the morning. Are we still doing a campfire tonight?”

“If you’re up to it. We have everything set up and the weather seems to be holding out.” 

“I’m good. Let’s give the kids a chance to finish the movie and I’ll help you pack up the food.” 

“No, you rest! I can do that and the guys will help carry it all out.” I hopped up and headed to the kitchen. I glanced back to make sure Laura stayed put and she did. 

There wasn’t much to pull out, just hot dogs, buns, condiments, chips, marshmallows, and the new pitcher of tea. I added a few bottles of beer for the guys at the last minute, knowing they’d had a long day too. The baskets were ready by the time the movie ended and Thor came in to find me packing up the last of the paper plates. 

“Campfire time?” Thor asked, motioning to the baskets.

“Yeah, we should feed the kids before it gets too late.” I told him. 

Thor smiled broadly but didn’t comment. 

“What?” I asked.

Thor shook his head and pulled me into his arms, “You sounded like a typical mum. I love it.” He pressed a kiss on my forehead, “I love you.” He kissed my cheek, “I love Finn.” He kissed my other cheek, “I love that we’re going to be family.” He finally pressed his lips against mine and tightened his grip on my hips. My body responded to his, instantly melting against him. It wasn’t fiery passion, just a deep contentment and need to be as close as possible. 

“Break it up, lovebirds.” Clint interrupted entering the kitchen.

“Shut up, Barton.” Thor grumbled, not letting me go. 

“You ready to go start the fire? The little monsters are hungry again.”

“Sure, let’s go get it started.” Thor looked down at me, disappointed to let me go, “Sorry my love, I have to go set things on fire.”

“Go on then. But take the baskets with you. Laura and I will be out in a minute with the kids.” I slipped out of his arms and gave him a teasing shove towards the baskets.

I found Laura where I had left her, being regaled by Nate about his time riding around the farm on Lady with Thor. I hoped Clint had gotten a picture or two, I wished I could have seen it. 

I knew Thor had spent a lot of time with Rick collecting wood for the campfire earlier in the week and I expected a nice little campfire we could keep going for an hour or so. I certainly didn’t expect the pyre we walked out to. At the edge of the backyard was a large stone ring set up for campfires with benches all around it. Thor and Clint had filled the ring to the brim and stacked the wood in an unreasonably tall stack. It was quite literally roaring and the two overly testosterone fueled men were clinking beer bottles, proud as could be of themselves. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Laura exclaimed as we approached them. “Clinton Francis Barton, what on earth have you done?” 

Clint paled at the use of his full name.

“Oh shit, you’re in trouble.” Thor cackled. 

“So are you, Odinson.” I pointed out. 

Thor’s face fell, hesitantly waiting to see if I was kidding or not. 

“How did this seem like a good idea? We can’t let the kids get close to this to cook their hot dogs.” Laura scolded Clint.

“Well, we just kept stacking it. And it was kinda like reverse Jenna, ya know? We wanted to see how high could go before it fell. And well, damn thing just kept holding up. So we set her on fire. You should have seen it when the big guy finally got it to catch. Whooosh!” Clint demonstrated by throwing his arms up in the air expansively. Then he started laughing so hard he held his ribs as he bent over. “I thought Thor was gonna lose his beard. He couldn’t get back fast enough.”

Thor joined in the laughter, “You can laugh all you want, you would have been the one putting me out if I had caught.” 

“Ahhh, I got ya buddy. I wouldn’t have let you get hurt… much.” 

Laura and I both rolled our eyes and gave up trying to scold them. It was like dealing with overgrown little boys and at least no one had actually been hurt. We started unpacking the baskets on the picnic table, spreading out all the food for people to assemble their own plates. 

“Can you believe those idiots are the ones who saved saved the world.” Laura said, finally letting herself laugh a little at their antics.

“Multiple times,” I reminded her, “And then the whole universe.” 

“Unreal. I’m so glad Clint’s retired though. It’s been good for him, and us.” 

“Yeah, I can’t imagine the stress of Thor going out on missions. I don’t think I could bear it.”

“You find ways to get through it. I got lucky, I had little kids to keep me busy. But it was still hard. They weren’t meant for desk jobs, our guys. They’re warriors.”

“I know, but I’m still glad I met Thor after that phase of his life. I will happily take dealing with night terrors and therapy sessions over him going off into battle.”

“Agreed.” Laura finished threading the last few hot dogs onto roasting sticks and called the kids over. The fire had died down a bit and was at a more manageable level. 

“I’m glad you’re having fun.” I told Thor when he came over for his hot dog. 

“Thank you, my love. I’m so glad we did this. It’s going just as well as I’d hoped.” He admitted. 

“Good. I think the kids are having a really good time.” 

“Indeed, Nate told me I’m his favorite uncle while we were riding today.” 

I stifled a giggle at how seriously Thor took the compliment, “Well, aren’t you lucky.” 

Thor nodded and took my hand to have me join him over by the fire. 

Lila and Cooper were making their own hot dogs and Laura was helping Nate with his while Clint cooked hers along with his own. It was a perfect day. The storm passed over without actually raining earlier and the humidity had lessened significantly. Being heavily pregnant in the summer was unbearable some days but even with the heat of the fire I was holding up okay. 

Thor kept an eye on me and I knew he was worried I was going to overheat. I gave him a reassuring smile and nod. 

We all settled in with our food, squeezing ourselves around the picnic table. It was blissfully normal domesticity and I enjoyed watching Thor take it all in. I knew this was not something he grew up with but something he was looking forward to for our kids. He watched wistfully, smiling at times as the kids would do something silly. 

We roasted marshmallows after dinner, all seven of us left with sticky fingers but happy nonetheless. We sat around the campfire on the benches and Clint eventually stopped adding new logs, letting the remaining wood die down. Slowly the fireflies started flickering in the grass and the sun started dipping lower in the horizon. Nate chased the fireflies, determined to catch one. Thor helped Clint put the fire completely out and rake the coals. 

“It’s after nine. Bedtime kids.” Laura called to the three of them. All of them grumbled but Laura herded them in all the same; reminding Lila that while she had to be in bed she was allowed to read for another half hour if she wanted to. 

I packed up the trash and leftovers and carried the light basket of paper products inside. I could hear Laura tucking in Nate and then walking down the hall to the nursery. It was so sweet how she wanted to paint the nursery in honor of Thor’s home world. I could never adequately thank her enough for doing it. I popped my head in the nursery, eyes closed, to check on her. “You doing okay?”

“Just getting started again. I’m so close to being done. I won’t be up too late. Let me know if bother you guys though.” She said.

“You’re fine. Don’t worry about us. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Night.” 

I left her to her work, anxiously anticipating the big reveal the next day. 

It turned out to be a very big reveal. We all slept in the next morning and thankfully the kids enjoyed the same terrible, sugary cereal as Thor because I didn’t have a chance to cook before everyone was up. Laura ran upstairs as soon as she had finished her coffee and I heard the distinct clunking of furniture moving around. 

“Does she need help up there?” Thor asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah, she wants it to be a surprise. She’ll be fine.” Clint assured him. 

A few minutes later she was running back down the stairs, grinning like a mad woman, and asking us to come upstairs. 

“Close your eyes.” She asked, standing between us and the door. We complied and she took one of each of our hands, leading us in the room. She moved us around where she wanted us and then, finally satisfied, told us to open our eyes. 

The mural on the wall was so much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The city seemed alive, golden and shining, surrounded by mountains and dark blue water. The streaks of color on the rainbow bridge were stunning and it seemed to shoot right out of the crib with the way it was placed. Even the pale blue sky and fluffy clouds seemed realistic. I was stunned, “Laura, this is amazing.” 

Thor’s face was frozen and he gripped my hand tightly in his. A choked sound came out of him and his knees buckled, crumpling his large frame down to the ground. I called out his name, worried, and joined him in kneeling on the floor. His eyes were wide and tears were forming. His breaths were shallow and he was just overcome with emotion. Laura looked concerned but I held up one finger letting her know we just needed a moment. “Hey,” I said as calmly as I could manage while I rubbed Thor’s shoulder, watching his expression for signs he was snapping out of it. “Hey, sweetheart. I need you to start taking bigger breaths for me, okay? Come on, come back to me.” 

I could feel Thor taking a gasping breath and the tears finally started falling. He pulled me into a hug, holding on for dear life. “She gave me Asgard back.” He said quietly through the tears.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Good surprise, right?” 

“Big surprise. I wasn’t expecting this in a million years.” 

“So you like it?” Laura asked tentatively, not wanting to disturb our moment.

“Yes!” We both said a little too loudly. 

The kids and Clint joined us to see Laura’s creation and I helped Thor back upon his feet. He wiped roughly at his eyes but Clint noticed anyway and pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay man. I know it’s a lot.” He urged Thor to let it out and was patient until he pulled back. 

“You did a hell of a job, babe.” Clint told his wife wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

I pulled Thor against me again. He was still staring at the wall with glassy eyes but the tears had stopped at least. “Pretty amazing, huh?” I asked him.

Thor’s voice had a far off tone and his eyes never wavered from the mural, “It’s so realistic. It’s like being back there again. I can almost hear the waves hitting the shore.” 

“Laura, this is amazing. Seriously. I’m just stunned.” I praised her.

“I can never, ever, thank you enough for this.” Thor added. 

She blushed, proud and happy that she captured the place so well despite having never been there. “I’m really glad you like it. I had so much fun creating it.”

“It’s just so much to take in.” Thor said with another sniffle. I tightened my arms around him again, knowing he needed time to process seeing his home again like this. 

“Jeez mom.” Lila grumbled, “You broke Uncle Thor.”

We all laughed at Lila’s dramatics except Nate who threw his arms around Thor’s leg in a small but fierce hug, “I’ll fix Uncle Thor!” He exclaimed. 

Thor couldn’t resist the sweet intentions of the small boy and let me go in order to pick Nate up and pop the boy on his hip. “Do you know what this is?” He asked him. Nate shook his head so Thor cleared his throat and continued, “This was Asgard. It was a planet far away from here where I grew up. It’s gone now but it was magnificent back when I was your age.” 

“Cool.” Nate said looking around at the detailed cityscape. 

“Cool indeed. Your mummy is very talented. She did a perfect job.” 

“Mom did a treehouse on my bedroom wall.” 

“That’s awesome. You’re lucky.” 

Nate nodded and my heart melted a little watching him curl against Thor’s chest, enjoying the comfort. I moved to stand next to Laura who was eyeing a spot on the wall critically. 

“I wish I’d blended the shoreline a little more right there.” She motioned to the imperfection only she could detect.

“Stop, it’s perfect.” I insisted. 

“I’m glad you guys like it. Thor had me worried there for a minute.” 

“It was a huge surprise and he doesn’t always process big emotions that well.” 

“You are so good with him though. You had the whole thing under control the second he went down. I know I’ve probably said it a dozen times, but I really am so glad he has you.” 

“I didn’t do anything special. He just needed an anchor while he processed everything.” 

“No, it’s more than that. You’re perfect for him, Mia. And thankfully he’s smart enough to keep you. I can’t wait to come back for the wedding in September.” 

“I’m glad you’re coming. It wouldn’t be the same without you there. Besides, I need to borrow Nate to be the ring bearer if he’s willing.” 

“Absolutely. Thor asked Clint a few weeks ago, he’s very willing.” 

We were interrupted by Nate who had climbed down from Thor and wanted to tell his mother what he thought of her mural. My eyes caught Thor as he slipped out the door and I followed him out. The door to our bedroom was closing as I got to the hall and I headed over to find my wayward husband. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands over his face, and taking deep breaths.

“Hey.” I said softly.

His eyes snapped up but he relaxed when he saw it was me. “I just needed another minute.” 

“It’s okay. Take your time, sweetheart.” I joined him on the bed, rubbing my hand in big circles across his back. 

“I really love it, I do. But it’s a little painful. I think of Asgard and of my family often but those are memories. This is fresh and bright, right in front of me. I miss them so much.” 

“I know you do. Give it a little time, you’ll be glad to have such a beautiful reminder of your childhood home to show your son.” 

“Finn will know where his ancestors came from. He’ll be able to see it every morning and night.” 

“It’s a pretty great gift.” 

“It is, we need to thank them again.”

“We will, just take your time here, love.” 

Thor slumped against me and I supported his heavy frame the best I could. It was some time later when he finally lifted himself back up, “We’ve been in here too long.” He said with a heavy sigh. 

“Clint understands. Let’s go see what they’re up to.” I stood up and tugged at his hand for him to get up. 

With another long sigh he hoisted himself up and pulled me in for a long kiss. “Thank you for letting me process this in my own way.” He said as we broke apart. 

“Of course, love. You need to take things at your own pace and that’s okay.” 

Thor took my hand in his and we went downstairs to find the Barton’s who were playing Scrabble at the dining room table. 

“Hey.” Clint called as we joined them. “I figured we’d get a game in. Lila saw it on the shelf yesterday and wanted to play.”

Thor sat down in the open seat next to Clint, “Great, I’m not familiar with this game.”

Clint went on to explain the game and I settled in next to Cooper who was staring intensely at his letters. Not trying to offend him but also wanting to help the poor kid out I reached over and tapped four tiles. His eyes lit up as he saw his opening and laid out the word “giant” using an open “n” tile. He high fived me and Laura raised her eyes at me, impressed I’d been able to help her middle child without getting grumbled at. 

Laura insisted they start packing after Scrabble and it was sad watching them get ready to leave. I enjoyed having Laura around and felt like I didn’t get to spend enough time with her. I had so many more “mommy questions” to ask her and I told her as much as I helped her search for a missing sock of Nate’s. She reminded me she was only a call or text away but I was going to miss her anyway. 

The Barton’s headed out for the airport a little before noon and it was tough on Thor. He was still a little off balance from the surprise earlier and he was going to miss all of them, not just Clint. Thor held me against his side as we waved to them from the porch. Gravel flew under the tires of the rental van and they were off, driving down the road until the vehicle disappeared leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Thor had held up through the goodbyes but as he turned to go back inside he took a shaky breath. 

“Come on, sweetheart. We’re going back to bed for a bit.” I pulled at his hand and he followed me without complaint. We both glanced in the nursery on our way past and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

Once inside our room I stripped out of my T-shirt dress, my bra and panties quickly joining it in a pile on the floor. Thor watched intently as I bared myself to him. He hadn’t moved yet so I crossed the room to him and pulled his shirt up and off, tossing it over to my pile. I unknotted the tie of his linen pants and pulled them over his hips along with his boxers. He continued to watch me, unsure of what it as up to. I really had no plans outside of getting him naked and in bed. Thor responded so well to physical touch and I wanted to give him all the comfort I could. I pulled down the blanket on his side of the bed and motioned to it, “In you go.” I told him. He gave me a half smile and climbed in. I made my way around to my side and joined him, meeting him halfway to wrap myself around his body. I nestled in against his chest, just letting him relax against me. His skin was hot against mine but I didn’t mind, I craved the feeling of his limbs entwined with mine as much as he did. We laid quietly for a long while, absently stroking each other’s skin and enjoying the silence. 

My hand trailed down his side again and I couldn’t stifle the wave of desire that built as my hand smoothed over the plush curve above his hip. Thor made a throaty moan when I gave his generous love handle a squeeze. He quirked an eyebrow at me, clearly questioning my intentions. 

I bit my lip, “Couldn’t resist, sorry. I’ll behave. I really did just want to curl up for a bit.” 

Thor chuckled, “You enjoy touching me so much.” 

“I do. I love your body.” My thumb stroked the crease of his belly where it rested against his hip. 

“Whatever makes you happy, my love.” 

“Mmm. You’re number one on that list.” 

“Lucky me. Here, turn over. I’ll rub your lower back, is it still bothering you?”

I rolled over and scooted back so he could rub his hands against the tightly bunched muscles. “Just a little. I’ve been trying not to bend over as much but there’s not much else I can do. It’s part of the price of having a tiny human growing inside me.” 

“A few more months and he’ll be here. I would say you could rest once he’s out but I know it’s going to get much harder before it gets easier.” 

“But at least I won’t feel enormous and sluggish all the time.” 

“True. And I will help you all I can. Whatever you need, I will be here to do it. I would bring you the moon if you asked it.” 

“I know, sweetheart. I’m going to take you up on that too. Good thing you’ve been learning how to cook.”

Thor laughed, “If all else fails I can always use my two favorite utensils for cooking dinner.” 

“What are those?”

“My phone and my credit card.” 

I paused a minute in disbelief before cracking up. I rolled onto my back, eyes watering as a laughed. “I can’t believe you.” I said trying to catch my breath.

Thor wore a smug but amused expression. “I’m very good with them.” 

“I know you are. It’s just too funny.” I took a cleansing breath to still my laughter but my breathing was labored. 

Thor’s eyes shifted down to my shaking breasts and he gaze turned seductive. He captured my mouth with his, teasing his tongue along the seam of my lips. I parted them and his tongue flicked in, teasing mine. His large palm caressed my breasts, his thumbs rolling over my nipples until they hardened. A moan rose up out of my throat when I exhaled which only further enticed Thor. He replaced his hand with his mouth on my breasts and moved his hand between my thighs. With practiced skill he parted my lips and found my clit instantly. He knew my body almost better than I did and it never ceased to amaze me. The feel of his thumb rolling quick circles across my most sensitive place was incendiary and an orgasm built, hot and electric within me. When he suddenly plunged two large fingers inside me, my body erupted around him and I dug my nails into his shoulder as I bit back a cry. 

“So ready for me.” Thor commented huskily as his fingers rocked gently inside me, letting me come down a little from the burst of pleasure. He pulled his hand back and I tried to pull him back but he rolled me over so I was lying with my back to him, his hard length pressing against my ass. Thor lifted my top leg gently, making room for himself and he moved to enter me from behind. I locked my leg around his as he began moving. It was such a lazy, intimate position; exactly what we both needed. I luxuriated in the feel of his soft belly and chest pressed so tightly against my back as he pumped into me. His hand was free to explore my body and he took full advantage of it. I arched against him and I felt the almost imperceptible shift as his release drew closer. His hand snaked down between my legs again, determined to push me over the edge with him. I was lost in the sensation of being engulfed by him; he was all around me, inside of me, everywhere. It was a heady feeling and it, plus the rapid flicks of his skilled thumb, had me panting out his name. This was what he wanted, my body shaking and clenching around his. It was his favorite sensation to push him over the edge and he grasped my hip harder than he intended as he barked out a relieved sounding cry and found his own release. 

Thor didn’t let me go for a while after we were both spent. It was comfortable and I was still a little limp feeling. He kissed along my neck gently, almost like a thank you. “I needed that.” He said quietly against my skin. 

“Mm, me too.” I concurred. I took his hand and pulled it around me to rest comfortably on my stomach. We dozed for a bit more until hunger sent him downstairs in search of snacks to bring up for us. We spent the rest of the day lounging around doing absolutely nothing. It was a much needed break after the long weekend and the cleaning could wait one more day. All that mattered was letting Thor rest and keeping him in a steady headspace despite all the excitement of the past few days. I knew he would be okay if given a chance to process through everything and I was going to make sure he got it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is any one still here for this fic....? *hides in shame*
> 
> I'm so sorry for the long delay in updating this fic!! Thank you for hanging out while I dealt with crappy health issues, crappy mental health issues, and two other works in progress I was working on. I have the fic done now and will be editing and posting new chapters as quickly as I can. It's going to be 20 chapters plus an epilogue :)
> 
> For those of you who are still interested and reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Love you guys!!

The house seemed quiet without the Bartons but Valkyrie pulled me into full swing wedding planning so I was kept busy in the weeks after their visit. Thor loved the planning and was eagerly helping as well. Most days though he was working around the farm and practicing driving with Maurice and Rick. He was just about ready for his drivers test and I was so proud of him. He wanted to be able to drive us home after the wedding. I tried to explain it was just carrying me over the threshold that was a tradition but he had it in his head that it was important and that was all there was to it. 

Thor had not exaggerated the work that went into planning a traditional Asgardian wedding. Well, a royal wedding, specifically. It was only slightly more in-depth than a Sojuran or Earth wedding and I found I liked a few of the additions such as the presentation of a sword or dagger from the groom to the bride to keep for their sons, and the blessing of the cup of ale which was shared at the altar. While it seemed like a lot to me, according to Thor the planning was going faster than usual thanks to Valkyrie’s connections within the community. She knew exactly who was best at what and who would be willing to help out. 

We had all of the vendors set up within two weeks and then all we had to do was make decisions. Royal blue linens or navy blue? Hydrangeas or chrysanthemums? Roast chicken or duck? My mind swam with options and if Thor didn’t have a set preference I started just spontaneously picking things after a while. The only thing we both had strong opinions but could not agree on was cake flavors. It was by far the most fun appointment getting to try all the different flavors of cake, icing, and fillings but we ended up at an impasse. Thor was stuck on chocolate cake, caramel cream filling, and chocolate icing. It was cloyingly sweet and I couldn’t take more than a small bite, but Thor was in heaven. I was giving in to my cravings and refused to budge from lemon cake, raspberry filling, and vanilla icing. The baker was kind enough to suggest doing a taller cake with different flavors in each tier. We were able to keep our favorites and still have an all vanilla layer for people who wanted something plain. 

We decided against setting up wedding registry since we didn’t want the community to try and buy us any gifts. We had more than we would ever need and it just didn’t feel right. Our friends complained but we told them the same thing; just come to the ceremony and have fun, seeing them was our gift. I was able to convince Annabel’s mother to let her be part of the wedding and I knew she was going to make a very sweet flower girl next to Morgan Stark who was just a few years older. With Valkyrie as my maid of honor and Bruce Banner the best man, we had a full wedding party picked out very easily. 

Valkyrie was taking her maid of honor duties very seriously and insisted on taking me dress shopping at a bridal boutique nearby. I didn’t want to offend any of the town’s seamstresses but I wanted to pick something that blended both Asgardian and Sojuran traditions. Thor had agreed to a tuxedo but was dreading going for a fitting. Banner had promised to fly out to go with him for the appointments since he was in need of one too but it did little to quell Thor’s discomfort. 

The weekend Banner flew out was a record setting August heatwave and I was happy to let him take up all of Thor’s time. I felt entirely too irritable to deal with anything other than the restlessly baby growing inside me and my incessant craving for gummy peach rings. Thor had just passed his driver’s test and got himself a behemoth of a truck with all sorts of bells and whistles that he was completely delighted by. I had made the mistake of expressing jealousy over a few features and he was making plans to buy me a new car for Christmas despite my protests. He was in the throes of new toy syndrome and thankfully Banner was interested enough in the engineering of the truck to humor Thor’s new obsession. 

It was very different having Banner visit than Clint’s family. While he too stayed in a guest room at Beau Terre, he was very low maintenance and I didn't have to plan anything for his visit. He and Thor were always off doing something and I had ample free time. Valkyrie had scheduled my dress shopping appointment for the same day as Thor’s tuxedo fitting since she knew I would be free and I was starting to dread my appointment as much as Thor was his. 

The morning of the appointment I snapped a picture of my riot of red hair and the top of my forehead peeking out from under the blankets in my bed to send to Valkyrie. I added the message “never leaving this bed” and hit send. My phone lit up right away. “Get up NOW” she replied with a frowning face. I sent back a cartoon middle finger but did finally get up. I threw on one of my maternity dresses and tossed my hair up in a messy bun. I knew I should try to make myself look a little more presentable but I wasn’t one of those women who needed to take pictures and make a huge deal out of the event. I headed downstairs for breakfast and found Thor and Banner eating cereal at the kitchen island. 

“Hey there.” Banner said cheerfully when he spotted me. It was strange seeing him back in his human form again. The pictures I’d seen of him in recent years had all been as what the media had dubbed “Professor Hulk”, a hybrid of his Hulk and human forms. From what he’d told Thor, he had shifted back about six months ago, the Hulk having moved peacefully into retirement for the time being. 

“Hey Bruce.” I tried to keep the surliness out of my tone but I needed caffeine to come off as even slightly pleasant. I was allowed one cup of coffee a day and I was damn well going to have it. 

“Hello, my love.” Thor greeted me. He pulled me in for a hug and to hold me a moment but I couldn’t stand the heat from his body even in the air conditioned house. 

“Too hot.” I wiggled my way out of his arms. “Sorry sweetheart.” 

Thor gave me a lopsided frown but let me be. 

I slammed through almost every cupboard before settling on a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter. 

“Can I make you something, my love?” Thor asked, trying to be helpful. 

“This is fine for now. I just really need coffee.” 

“Consider it done.” Thor poured me a fresh cup and even pulled out the creamer I was favoring that week to fix the brew just how I liked it. I had never cared about anything fancy in my coffee before, but pregnancy cravings were a strange thing. 

I leaned against him briefly, not enough to overheat myself, but just enough to let him know how much I appreciated his efforts. As crabby as I was, I knew my soon to be husband thrived on reassurance and affection. “Thanks. I’ll be out of your hair soon. I have to go meet Val for dress shopping.”

“We’re heading out in a little bit too.” Bruce informed me. “We have to get this guy set up with a tux.” 

“I can’t wait to see it. Thanks for coming all the way out here for the fittings.” 

“Ahh, it’s no big thing. I love flying the Quinjet anyway, especially now that I don’t have to fumble around with Hulk fingers.” 

“You’ll have to take me up in it sometime.” Thor’s eyebrows shot up and I quickly added “Obviously after I have the baby. I’ve done enough puking in this pregnancy thank you very much.” 

Banner chuckled, “Anytime, Mia. You just let me know when. You haven’t been out to see the compound yet and I think you’d both like seeing what we’ve done with the place.” 

I thanked him for the offer and with a quick kiss to Thor I was heading out to meet Valkyrie. 

Finn was restless on the drive down and I took it as a good sign that it meant he would be resting by the time I was ready to try on dresses. The bridal shop was much larger than Valkyrie had let on and I was overwhelmed walking in to the foyer. 

“Hey there mama!” Valkyrie waived, mimosa already in hand. She was standing next to a young, blonde haired woman who looked like she had just stepped out of an elfin fairytale. 

“Hey Val.” I pulled her in for a quick half-hug. 

“Mia, this is Tori. She’s our personal shopper for the day.” 

“Hi Tori.” 

The girl reached out and I shook her hand, “Hi Mia.” Her voice was high and soft, it fit her perfectly. Poor Valkyrie was all but fawning over the girl and I was going to have to keep an eye on her mimosa count so she didn't embarrass herself or Tori. “Can I get you something to drink? We do have non alcoholic options.” 

I shook my head, “I’m fine for now. Thanks though.” 

“If you change your mind let me know. Did you have any ideas of what kind of dresses you wanted to try on?” 

“Umm… kind of? My fiancé is Asgardian and they do traditional, plain white dresses. Very basic. I’m Sojuran so our customs are more aligned with what you would find here. I want to blend the two somehow.” 

“That’s actually not as hard as you would think. We can definitely keep with a simple silhouette but add in more modern details.”

“Oh and if we can make me not look like a giant marshmallow with this little guy growing in here that would be great too.” I joked. 

Tori laughed, “We can find dresses that drape around your belly so that it’s not as pronounced. How far away is the wedding?”

“Three weeks.”

“Okay, so we won’t have to worry about having it refitted as long as we keep the materials loose. Let me go pull some ideas and I’ll meet you two in the second dressing room on your right, it has your name on the outside.” 

I thanked her and Valkyrie and I found our way to the dressing room. The individual rooms were huge and had a sitting area, a raised platform, and a triple mirror set up to see all angles of yourself. 

“How are you doing Val?” I asked, already guessing at the answer. 

Valkyrie tried and failed at looking nonchalant, “I’m great. How are you?” 

“I’m fine. You certainly seem interested in our personal shopper though.”

A blush crept across Valkyrie’s bronze cheeks, “Who? Tori?”

“You run an entire colony of Asgardians. You’re too smart to play dumb.”

“Damnit.” Valkyrie grumbled and finished her mimosa with one long swallow. “She is a stunner, isn’t she?”

I chuckled at her theatrics.

“She just as the fairest skin. Ugh, and that white-blonde hair. She smells like lilacs.” 

“Okay, no more mimosas for you. And no more sniffing the sales girl. Good lord, you need to pull it together.”

I received a glare but no argument.

“After we find me a wedding dress, and maybe a dress for you too, you can do all the flirting you want. Hell, slip her your number for all I care. But I need a dress, Val.” 

“Okay, okay. Calm down before you upset my nephew.” 

I rubbed my bump at the mention of him, Finn had finally settled down much to my relief. “Your nephew needs to chill out. He still has enough room to host midnight dance parties in my stomach and is taking full advantage of it.” 

Valkyrie laughed so hard she snorted. Right as Tori returned with an arm full of dresses. Poor Valkyrie shot right up in her seat and tried to look composed despite being in hysterics a moment before. 

“You ready, Mia?” Tori asked as she hung up her load. 

“Absolutely. What do we have?”

Tori started going through everything she had brought back and I had to admit, the girl was a genius. The dresses were all off white or cream which complimented my hair and skin tone perfectly. Most were strapless or had straps no wider than my pinky, though one I noticed had little lace cap sleeves that looked extremely fragile. Some had lace accents, some had pearls, and some had little shimmering crystals throughout. The designs were all fairly similar, empire waists or loose sheaths that could be tailored to curve with my body along the sides. We ruled out a few right away, I wasn’t overly fond of the sparkly crystals. That left me with seven to try on and I hoped at least one of them would work. 

The first four were fine but nothing special. Valkyrie was in love with all of them but did agree with me that we could do better. The fifth dress had me in tears. It was a creamy off white color and had the sleeves I’d noticed earlier. The sleeves were actually chiffon with smalls swirls of intricate lace that laid gently over my shoulders and the chiffon overlay of the dress had patches of lace swirling throughout, all the way to the bottom where it was more heavily embroidered. It had an empire waist and the chiffon parted right under my bust to reveal silk of the same color. The way it draped over my stomach both concealed and flattered my bump in a way I hadn’t expected to like. It was exactly what I had been looking for in a dress. It wasn’t overly modern but had enough detail to interest me. The lace was old fashioned feeling and so delicate, I just adored the way it gave the dress character without making it flashy. I smiled through my sniffles and took the tissue Tori held out for me. 

“So this is the one, yeah?” Valkyrie asked with a tight voice.

I looked back, confused by her tone and saw her eyes were looking glassy. “Are you getting emotional on me?” I teased.

“It’s your wedding dress, I’m allowed to be!” She protested. 

“Yes, it is. Tori, I don’t need to keep going, this is it.” 

Tori looked surprised, “That was easy! That's great though. The sizing looks okay, do you feel comfortable in it?” 

“Yeah, it’s perfect.”

“Great, I think we have this one in stock too. If you have time today I’ll try to squeeze you in to see one of our tailors to have it taken up a few inches and anything else that needs adjusted.” 

“That’s fine. If we can, I’d like to try and find a maid of honor dress for Val while we’re here too.”

“Sure, you took like half the time of most brides. We can use the rest of the appointment time for her. What color did you want for the dress?”

“We’re doing navy blue, silver, and white. So maybe something silver? I think the guys are doing blue suits with silver ties or something? I don’t know for sure but I think that was what they said last.” 

“Dress style preference?”

“Nope, that’s up to her.”

“What were you thinking Val?” Tori asked, turning her focus to the enamored Valkyrie. 

“I, uh, don’t really do dresses.” Valkyrie stuttered, uncharacteristically flustered. 

“That’s okay. We can find you something simple and comfortable that will go with Mia’s dress. You have a lovely figure, you can pull off anything.” A light pink flush lit up Tori’s pale cheeks and it made me wonder if Valkyrie’s crush wasn’t one sided after all. 

When Tori returned with a pile of dresses in varying shades of silver Valkyrie started looking visibly nervous. “You got this Val. It’s just a stupid dress. And I promise you can get changed right after the ceremony if you want.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve battled gods. A damn swatch of silk is nothing to fret over.” She said while still side eyeing the pile of dresses. 

“So I was thinking just a nice sheath dress or maybe something a little more elegant like this one with the one shoulder wrap. It’s very ‘Grecian goddess’ and I don’t know, it made me think of you when I saw it on the wrack.” The blush had returned Tori’s cheeks and I was thoroughly enjoying sitting back to watch the two overly nervous women steal glances at each other while pretending to be casual. 

“I’ll try that one on first then.” Valkyrie took the dress from Tori and slipped behind the partitioned area to change. 

When she stepped out I could see exactly what Tori had meant about Grecian goddesses. Valkyrie was jaw droppingly beautiful in the silver silk dress. The material cascaded over her left shoulder and down her strong, athletic frame, highlighting her curves in a way her everyday clothes failed to do. There was a slit on her right side that parted all the way up to her mid thigh and it was sexy without being immodest. 

“Holy shit, Val.” I blurted out before I could censor myself. 

“I don’t even recognize myself.” She muttered moving around in front of the mirrors.

“Beautiful” Tori said quietly, staring blatantly at Valkyrie. She seemed to shake herself after a moment and cleared her throat before continuing. “What do you think?”

“I think this dress was made for me. I’ll take it.” 

“Well, and we thought Mia’s dress was easy! You girls make my job a breeze.” She giggled lightly, “This is an off the wrack dress so you can take that exact one and if you want it altered you’ll just have to let the tailors know when you’re down there for Mia’s dress. We did have one in stock for you, Mia.” 

I thanked her and she headed out while Valkyrie got changed. 

“Is she gone?” Valkyrie called out from behind the partition.

“Yeah, she’s making sure the tailor has my dress downstairs and has time for me. Yours doesn’t need anything, does it?”

“No, it’s fine. But Miaaaa.” She whined drawing out my name, “What am I going to do about that girl? She’s perfect.”

“Just ask her out. I don’t think your feelings are one sided, Val.” 

“Oh Norns, do you think? I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.”

“Take a breath. Just tell her you don’t know the area very well and ask where the best place for a cup of coffee is. When she tells you, ask her if she’d like to grab a cup with you sometime.”

“When did I start taking dating advice from you, miss ‘I’m marrying the first serious boyfriend I ever had?’” 

“Hey now, I had boyfriends before Thor. It was just hard because I was taking care of Sarah.” 

“But did any of them make you feel even a tenth of what Thor does?”

“No, but that’s why I’m marrying him!”

Valkyrie barked out a laugh and joined me on the settee. Tori returned a moment later letting us know the tailor was all set downstairs and we would be rung up down there once they factored in the alteration costs. 

Valkyrie took a deep breath as she stood and I hurried as fast as my pregnant self could out of the room to give her privacy. Well, the illusion of privacy. I hovered right outside the door listening and keeping my fingers crossed for her. 

“So, ah, Tori.” Valkyrie started hesitantly. “Where can I get a good cup of coffee around here? I’m not that familiar with the area yet.” 

“Oh, you’ll want to go to Joe’s over on West Street. It’s a little cheesy with the coffee puns but their brews are the best.” Tori told her.

“Cool, cool. Thanks.” Valkyrie paused and I thought for a moment she had chickened out, “Would you like to grab a cup with me sometime?” She said all in a rush. 

I heard Tori’s small giggle and internally cheered for my best friend. “Well, I work until seven tonight and that’s too late for coffee. But there’s a bar right around the corner if you want to grab a drink.” 

“Even better. What’s it called?”

“Rebel Hill Brewery. They have a full bar and restaurant attached to their brewery. I could meet you there around eight?” 

“Sure, yeah. That would be great. I’ll see you tonight.” 

“Okay, bye Val.”

“Bye Tori.”

Valkyrie came out of the room and almost ran into me.

“Were you spying?” She asked without any real annoyance. Her face was frozen in a wide smile and she looked happier than I had seen her in a while.

“A little.” I admitted freely, “And it sounds like someone has a date tonight.” I looped my arm in Valkyrie’s and we headed downstairs giggling like teenagers. 

I spent the whole day with Valkyrie, only heading home so that she could go get ready for her date with Tori. By the time I got back, Thor and Banner were back and settled in playing Fortnite on the xBox. 

“How did it go?” I asked, joining them on the sofa.

“It was long and stuffy and the old man poked me with pins, twice.” Thor complained. 

“He did just fine, Mia.” Banner interjected, “Thor picked out a really great tux.” 

“We think it will be great. I didn’t get to actually wear it. The shop was supposed to carry all sizes but they didn’t have anything I could actually fit into properly.” 

“Well, sweetheart you’re an Asgardian god, that doesn’t really fall into a typical human proportions.” 

Thor bristled, his pride still sore. “I’m not a giant.” He placed his controller down, no longer distracted sufficiently by his game, “Everything was that was long enough was too small. Everything that was large enough was too short. There was one that came close that looked like a tent and still the seams pulled to the point of concern.” 

Bruce gave me a knowing look from the other side of Thor. He knew Thor was still upset and needed to really get it all out. Quietly he slipped from the room and I heard his quiet footfalls on the stairs up to his room. 

“Thor, sweetheart. The issue is not you, it was just the clothes selection.” I knew I had found the root of the issue when he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I moved over so I was sitting on his lap, straddling him. I pulled his hair out of the bun he had fixed at the nape of his neck and started playing with the wavy, silken strands.

“I knew I was going to have issues finding something. I knew it. They don’t have any shops like the one we found at the Millennium around here. But they swore they carried all sizes. And then it was exactly what I feared, I was too fat for a suit for my own wedding.”

“No Thor, they just didn’t carry your size. Did they order one for you?”

“Yes, they ordered everything for me after they took down my measurements.” 

“So, what you’re saying is they do make tuxes in your size, they just didn’t have any in stock?” 

“You’re not seeing the point here.” He huffed, trying to avoid meeting my eyes. 

“Tell me what you think the point is, Thor.”

Thor’s exasperation was palpable. “I am too large to fit in normal clothes, I have let myself go so far that I can’t even get a normal suit for my wedding.” 

“Oh sweetheart. Alright, love, come here a minute.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, embracing him with my whole body. I held him tightly as minutes passed, patiently waiting for his stress to lessen. I whispered quiet vows of love and endearments against his neck as I waited. He had been doing so much better lately with his self image but clearly it was still a lingering issue for him. Finally with a shuddering breath he pulled back and I sat up straight, placing my hands on his shoulders. “Now, let’s try this again. You got a little lost in the woods again for a minute.” 

Thor nodded and I took it as a good sign. 

“So, they ordered you a tux? And they were able to get it in your size?”

“Yes, it comes in next week. Bruce got his today.” 

“And that’s good for Bruce. But I’m sure yours is much nicer and typically nicer, fancier, clothes need to be tailor made. Who wants a normal old suit you could have walked out with today for something as special as our wedding?”

“It is a very nice shade of navy blue.” Thor admitted shyly. 

“I can’t wait to see it on you. I know you were disappointed with the trip but next time it’ll be better when they have your suit ready for you. I need you to really understand that this was the store’s problem, not yours. I love you, and you are absolutely perfect in every way. What you’ve let go of is centuries of buried pain and grief, not yourself.” 

“But-“

“No, no, no. No buts. Are you happy with your life, as it is now?”

“Yes, of course I am.”

“And do you enjoy this…?” I trailed off as I moved my hands down his sides, digging my fingers into his love handles as I pressed kisses down his throat. “And this?” I slipped my hands up his rounded belly and across soft chest while I ground myself against his lap right where his arousal was starting to awaken. 

“Y-yes. Yes, I- ahh” he moaned as I pulled teasingly on his nipples and ground harder against him. 

“Good.” I praised him, “Because I love the way you feel under me. Or on top of me. Or any way you take me. I love this beautiful body of yours. It’s like you were made for me to worship.” I continued my onslaught of affections, shifting my attention to various parts of him to keep his mind busy on the flurry of sensations. Rapidly his erection swelled beneath the soft denim of his jeans. I could feel his growing hardness along the length of his thigh and I ensured I was pressing against the entirety of it as I rode him. He wasn’t going to last long, I was making sure of that. I wanted him lost in his pleasure, wiping away everything but love for himself even if it was only temporary. 

“Mia. Please. I’m going to-“ he gasped frantically. 

“It’s okay. I want you to.” My own breathing was becoming ragged from exertion and arousal. I could almost get the friction just right for me to find my own release but not quite. Besides, this was about Thor, not me. “Come on sweetheart. I want to see you come for me.” 

Thor’s body shook hard, responding to my command whether or not his mind meant for him to. A few quick movements later and he was coming undone beneath me. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and clung to me as the orgasm rocked him. I scratched my nails lightly against his scalp as he came back down, his breathing slowly returning to normal. 

“That was… unexpected.” He said with bewildered satisfaction. 

“Yes it was. But much needed.”

Thor made an approving hum and then it dawned on him that we had company. “Banner is right upstairs. We’re on the sofa. And I’m in need of new pants.” 

“It’s alright, he’s probably busy working on his book. Just slip upstairs to get changed before you find him. I know you’d rather be in sweatpants than jeans anyway.”

“Very true. I hate these pants, they leave these red lines where they dig in.”

“We can get you new ones if you want. Those are old anyway, time to get rid of them.” 

“Maybe. I’m in no hurry. I like the clothes you bought me, I just need to do laundry.” 

“Okay. Go get changed and you can Bruce can play video games while I make dinner. I’ll even throw a load of wash in for you.” 

“Thank you, my love.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head and settled me onto the sofa so he could stand. 

I laid back for a moment, relaxing and feeling pleased I was able to get him through the self loathing he had been battling with all afternoon. I shot a quick text to Valkyrie, asking how her date preparations were going. She complained she didn’t know what to wear and I had to laugh at the fierce warrior woman being so concerned over clothes. I advised her to just be herself and stop worrying. Then it was her turn to send me a cartoon middle finger. I chuckled and headed upstairs to gather the laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact - Rebel Hill Brewery is a local craft brewery near where I live.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies. Another day, another chapter! Like I said last time, I am trying to get this beast of a story edited and posted as quickly as possible now that it's done. I feel like I've taken forever in writing it. This chapter is a little short but after the beast of the last one I feel like anything would be short lol.
> 
> Thanks again for sticking around while I ramble my way through our sweet thunder boy's happily ever after!

It was almost noon the following day when Valkyrie text me again. Banner and Thor were out in the Quinjet, Banner was working on a new piece of tech for the aircraft and valued Thor’s input. I was going over a list of things deemed “necessary” to have on hand in preparation for a new baby for the millionth time when my phone lit up. 

Valkyrie had sent.

I replied. 

A picture came through next.   
Was the caption. 

Val was beaming in the picture, her arm slung around Tori who looked completely different than she had in the bridal shop. She was wearing a black leather jacket and a Batman shirt, her nose was pierced and her ears were littered with little silver hoops as well. She had a few pale purple streaks in her white-blonde hair and her bright blue eyes were charcoal rimmed, standing out starkly against the rest of her pale features. 

I sent back with a shock faced emoji. 

__

_I set my phone down and went back to my list making. I wasn’t sure if there was much discernible difference between a swaddling cloth and a burp cloth but I was going to make sure I had plenty of both just like the recommendations said._

_Bruce and Thor returned late in the afternoon, both of them grime covered and sweaty. Bruce headed upstairs for a shower but Thor lingered in the kitchen to get a glass of water first._

_“How did it go?” I asked Thor, pulling him down for a kiss. He was filthy but it didn’t bother me in the least._

_“Very well. The Quinjet has never run better.” He said after a long gulp of his water._

_“So I have gossip from New Asgard.” I couldn’t stand not telling him. Valkyrie was his friend much longer than she was mine and I knew they had a tight bond. They had battled together, survived Ragnarock together, and helped their people rebuild their lives together too. She was his sister in every way that mattered._

_“Gossip? About who?”_

_“A certain Valkyrie we both know and love.”_

_“What has she done now?”_

_“She went on a date.”_

_Thor sputtered his water, trying not to choke. “A date!? With who?”_

_I laughed at his reaction, “Her name is Tori. She works at the shop I got my dress from. She helped us find our dresses. You should have seen Val fawning over this poor girl. And then they go out and it turns out she wasn’t as sweet and innocent as she looked at her job. You have to see this girl.” I pulled up the picture Valkyrie has sent and showed Thor._

_He chuckled and shook his head, “She knows how to pick them. She looks happy though, doesn’t she?”_

_“She does. I’m glad she’s finally dating, she deserves a little happiness in her life.”_

_“Agreed. Don’t say anything to Banner though. He’s leaving after dinner and it’s a conversation I’d rather avoid unless we have to.”_

_“Isn’t he friends with Val too?”_

_“Yes but he would like it to be more. He’s been harboring a crush on her since Sakaar.”_

_“Thor, she’s a lesbian. How does he not know that?”_

_“He knows she likes women, but I don't think he understands she only likes women.”_

_“Oh boy. Okay. We’re so not having that conversation then.”_

_“Nope, we’re not. But I would like to have a conversation about taking a shower.”_

_“A shower? Let me guess, you need help scrubbing your back.”_

_“Among other things.” He gave me a quick grin and hurried off, waiting at the bottom of the stairs to see if I would follow him._

_I sighed but headed after him. There was no way I was turning down a shower with my perfect thunder god._

_Banner was fully packed and waiting downstairs by the time I re-emerged. He was typing away on his laptop, glasses sinking lower on his nose the more he frowned._

_“How’s it going over there? Find the solution to end world hunger yet?” I teased him while raiding the fridge for dinner._

_Banner startled at my voice and looked up, realizing he was no longer alone. “Hey. Nah, just trying to work out the math on something for a professor friend.”_

_“What are you in the mood for, for dinner? I have barbecue chicken or salmon. Your choice.”_

_“Chicken is fine, I’m a simple guy. I appreciate you feeding me before I head out.”_

_“It’s not a problem. I wish you had more time before you had to head back though.”_

_“I’m only a quick flight away, and I'll be back in two weeks for the last tux fitting.”_

_“I know, but it’s nice having another one of Thor’s friends around.”_

_“Well, I’ll be back soon. And then for the wedding. And of course again once the little guy arrives. You’ll be sick of me in no time.”_

_“Doubtful.”_

_Bruce turned to Thor as he joined us in the kitchen. “Hey, before I forget, did you want me to take one more glance at the solar panel designs? I know you and Valkyrie were pretty set on the wind turbines but I think you should keep these on some of the buildings.”_

_“It doesn’t hurt. Come on,” Thor ushered him out of the kitchen and I got to work on dinner._

_As expected the guys got lost in their plans and I had to call up to them twice to come down for dinner. They eventually pulled themselves away and joined me at the kitchen table._

_“This is amazing Mia.” Banner praised as he bit into his chicken, “Seriously, I don’t know how you do it. I have a PhD and I still can’t even make toast.”_

_“You have seven PhD’s.” Thor interjected, “So that’s even worse.”_

_Banner threw a pea from his plate at Thor who comically tried, and failed, to catch it with his mouth._

_“Boys” I said, my tone low and warning._

_Thor suppressed a grin, trying to look contrite but Banner just laughed heartily. “You are such a mom already.” He said between laughs._

_“Hey!” I protested._

_Banner raised his hands in defense, “No offense. I’m sure this guy here is a lot to reign in on his own. But you’re gonna have a little version of him running wild around here and I’m starting to think you’re probably the only person alive who could wrangle him.”_

_It was Thor’s turn to be offended, “Why does everyone assume I’m the one who needs wrangling?”_

_“Oh sweetie…” I giggled._

_Thor huffed and went back to his food, ignoring the good natured laughter around him._

_Dinner drug on longer than it really needed to but no one was quite ready for Banner to head back. I gave him a tight hug at the ramp to the Quinjet, pulling back for an over eager Thor who needed a hug as well. I smiled at the patience Banner had for Thor as he hugged him close for a little longer than most people would have allowed. Banner knew what it was like to deal with mental health issues and would never think twice about giving Thor whatever he needed to help. I was glad he had a friend like him. As confident as I was that the birth of our child would go well, there was always a nagging worry that something could so easily go wrong. I worried what would happen to Thor if it did but seeing him with Banner I had a little peace of mind that someone would be there to take as good of care of him as I would._

_Thor wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close against him as Banner closed up the Quinjet and took off. I tilted my head up to see Thor’s dour expression. “He’ll be back soon, love.” I told him._

_“I know. It’s just been a while.” Thor explained._

_“I understand.”_

_“You always do. You’re perfect.” He started trailing kisses down my throat and I shivered under his lips. “And beautiful. And sweet. And ticklish.” He quickly teased his fingers along my sides and I shrieked embarrassingly loud. He was right, I was ticklish. Very ticklish. I scrambled away giggling but he pawed at me, trying to get me back. He was stronger but I was faster._

_“Catch me if you can.” I yelled as I ran full speed back to the house. I was only a few feet away when I realized that running while heavily pregnant was a terrible idea. Finn seemed to agree and began flailing around in my stomach. “Oof” I groaned and stopped to cradle my bump in my hands._

_Thor stopped too realizing something was wrong. “Are you okay? Finn?” He asked, worry seeping into this voice._

_“He’s okay. I’m okay. Just realized running is a terrible idea.”_

_Thor pulled me in for a hug and I heard him gasp. He pulled back right away, eyes wide. “I felt him.”_

_I felt Finn rolling around and kicking at me but I hadn’t expected Thor to be able to feel it through my skin. I watched as my gentle giant of a fiancé knelt down in front of me, resting his hands on the sides of my bump, his cheek pressed against the middle. It was like he couldn't get close enough to his squirming son. “Amazing.” He whispered reverently. I threaded my fingers through his hair, not wanting to rush him. Finn was quite annoyed by my running and was very active. I was so glad Thor was finally able to feel him too and I was happy to wait as long as it took before Thor was willing to pull away, not wanting to take even a moment of this away from him._

_After a few minutes Finn got comfortable again and stopped his movements. Thor got back onto his feet and immediately swept me up into his arms, carrying me gently back to the house._


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! Ya'll got two new chapters to enjoy today! And honestly it should be more the way things are going. I'm taking a night for myself to just edit and listen to music and enjoy some dang wine. Supportive husbands who will take care of dinner and small child wrangling are the best :) 
> 
> Enjoy this nice little fluff chapter featuring an overly affectionate thunder god and an epic baby shower!

The week before the wedding was blur of last minute details and travel arrangements. Valkyrie was thriving in the frenetic energy but I was just not up to it. Thor spent every moment at my side, checking on me and getting me anything I might need. He drove us in his ridiculous truck for every errand, insisting I sit back and relax. As much as I wanted to pretend I was fine, my energy was waning with even the simplest of tasks. I still had six more weeks until my due date and it seemed an impossible task. Finn was growing and healthy, just as he was supposed to be, and that was all that really mattered. Seeing my feet, being able to roll over in bed comfortably, and needing help getting up from low seats were just inconveniences I needed to live with for the time being. 

There was a shift in Thor as I started depending on him more. I had mentioned it to him offhandedly once and he said Dr. Grant had said something similar during their weekly therapy session. He was getting stronger mentally all the time and he thrived when he was busy with a clear purpose. Not that he didn’t have enough on his plate with everything else going on, but he really stepped up helping me. I had worried that the stress would be too much for him but he was actually doing better. He said me letting him help more made him worry less about me. I was still adjusting to needing help for what felt like simple tasks but it wasn’t something I had a choice with. 

I should have known something was up with the extra flair in Thor’s movements around the kitchen the Thursday before the wedding. He was all but dancing around to the music he had playing as he whipped up a batch of waffles. I had been craving them for days and Thor was determined to master the recipe. I sat on top of the kitchen island watching him move, appreciating his graceful movements and the way the early morning light played in his golden hair. He had plopped me up there to keep me from trying to help as he attempted to master the perfect, fluffy, golden waffle. I sipped at my coffee, deeply content, and a small sigh escaped. Thor turned around at the sound and I blushed at having been caught watching him. “What was that sigh for?” He asked, already knowing the answer. 

I gave him a lopsided smile, “Just enjoying the view.”

Thor chuckled and went back to his work. A few minutes later he handed me the most perfect waffle I had ever seen. He was positively beaming as he passed me the maple syrup. I moaned loudly, only slightly over reacting to the first bite. “This is perfect, sweetheart.” I told him. 

Thor clapped his hands and wiggled his shoulders in a little happy dance. “Yes! Now any time the cravings hit I will make them for you.” 

“I love you so much.” 

“But not as much as I love you.” Thor leaned in for a quick, syrup sweet, kiss and went back to making a stack of waffles for himself. 

I felt only slightly guilty as I poached a second waffle off his stack and he laughed, assuring me he could make more. It was good he had made extra batter because it wasn’t until I was half way through my third waffle that I gave up and pushed my plate away. Thor didn’t complain, he just added it to his stack happily. “Why don’t you go get dressed for the day, love? And pick out a swimsuit for later.” He suggested.

I eyed him warily, “Why? Where are we going? Aren’t most of our guests arriving this morning?” 

“Most people are arriving this afternoon and Valkyrie will need to get them set up in New Asgard. We can drive down tonight if you’re up to it, or we’ll see them tomorrow for the rehearsal.” 

“I swore I thought Laura said she had an 8am flight. And where are we going that I need a swimsuit?”

“It’s our last day of rest before the wedding weekend, I thought we could go up to Silk Stream Lake and relax a little. The doctor said swimming and being in the water is good for you right now.” 

I thought of my aching sciatic nerve and had to admit floating around in the water sounded heavenly, “That would be wonderful, love. Thank you. I’ll go get changed.” 

“Just lay out whichever suit you want and I’ll pack us a bag once I’m done.” 

I nodded and hoisted myself up with a small huff. Thor grinned and I shot him a pointed look. He was thoroughly enjoying me heavy with his child and made no attempt to hide it. I shuffled off to get dressed, hoping he wasn’t staring but knowing he probably was. 

Silk Stream Lake was a quick twenty minute drive away and Thor had already arranged for our day passes and a private cabana for us on a quiet end of the lake. “Wow, you went all out.” I teased him as the receptionist wrapped a purple band around my wrist. 

“Anything for you, my love.” Thor rumbled in my ear from behind me. 

The receptionist gave us a rundown of how the wristbands worked. They had chips that were linked to our account and anything we wanted to eat, drink, or buy would be charged with a tap. We also had a staff member assigned to our cabana if we needed anything. 

“I thought you were just taking me to a normal lake.” I chuckled as we got changed in the privacy of our cabana. It wasn’t too hot yet but the fans and little AC unit in the cabana were going to be a godsend once the heat of the day started up. 

“This one was closest and I wanted to spoil you a little before we get swept up in the wedding madness.” Thor explained simply.

“No complaints here, love. I just wasn’t expecting some five star resort. It’s lovely.” 

“Mmm, I know something else that's lovely.” Thor pulled me close, I was in a black bikini that I knew would drive him wild all day. I had originally planned to buy more modest swimsuits when the doctor recommended I start swimming to help with my sciatic pain. But I was enjoying being pregnant and watching Thor’s reactions to my changing body. I figured I might as well just buy what I would normally wear and ended up with a collection of bikinis that I had gotten a lot of use out of at the local YMCA pool. Thor planned to build a pool at Beau Terre in the spring so we could enjoy swimming at home next summer but in the meantime I didn’t mind going into town to the Y a few days a week. 

I slipped out of Thor’s grasp and hurried out of the cabana, tempting him to chase me. I was slow but he let me have the illusion of getting away as he walked after me with a predatory gait. I almost tripped over my own feet, my mouth going dry at the way he stalked after me, eyes blazing with lust. The water was chilly under my toes but I continued into the water, moving farther out until it was up to my breasts and the weight of my heavily pregnant stomach lessened. Thor stood right at the water’s edge watching me. He was gorgeous in his low slung red swim trunks and I curled two fingers at him, beckoning him to join me. He stepped into the water and cursed at the chill but continued in towards me. He got in as far as his waist and then dove under with his whole body, popping back up a few feet from me.

“That’s better!” He exclaimed, shaking the excess water from his hair. It had gotten long again, falling a few inches below his shoulders and I loved it. 

“You’re crazy.” I teased him as he moved through the water to me.

“Only for you.” He grinned before pulling me to him for a kiss. “Do you want one of those floating swans to rest in later?”

“Maybe. The water feels really good right now though.” 

“Is my son behaving in there?”

“For now, yes. The water helps a lot.”

“The doctor was very right about that. Do you remember what else she recommended?” 

“Stretching?”

“And a massage. The resort apparently has a special mommy and me massage specifically for pregnant women. And it can help a little with sciatic pain caused by pregnancy.”

“Thor…” I knew where this was going. He was so over the top with spoiling when he got the chance.

“Don’t ‘Thor’ me. I’ve already spoken with their best masseuse. Her name is Lauren and you have a 2pm appointment with her before we leave.” 

“I can’t even grumble at you for this. You’re too perfect. Thank you, sweetheart.” 

“I’m just ensuring the mother of my child is well taken care of.”

“And spoiling me to death. Are you at least getting a massage too?”

“I am, same time as yours.” 

“Okay good. You’ve been doing so much the past two weeks. You need time to rest too.”

“I have loved every minute of caring for you. You took such good care of me when I needed it and now I get to return the favor. It feels good.” 

I cupped his cheek in my palm and he leaned in to my touch. I blinked away tears, hormones flaring yet again. Thor was so endlessly kind and loving, it was just overwhelming. He pulled me up into his arms, carrying me out further into the water so he could hold me, weightless, in his arms under the warm September sun. We floated contentedly until our fingers and toes were too pruned to stay out any longer. 

Our cabana attendant was there as soon as we got back to take our lunch orders and get us extra towels. I sprawled out on a chaise lounge in our air conditioned cabana looking out at the sparkling lake, fully relaxed for the first time all week. I woke up to Thor pressing soft kisses across my shoulder. “Hello, love.” He said when I opened my eyes.

I rubbed the sleep from eyes, surprised I’d fallen asleep. “I guess I nodded off there for a minute.” 

“Not for too long. I wanted to let you rest but our food arrived and you need to eat something before your massage later.” 

“It’s okay, I don’t want to waste this beautiful day sleeping anyway.” I took the plate Thor handed to me and sat up to get cozy in all the towels he had curled around me like a nest. We ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the view of the lake and bright blue sky against dark evergreen trees. It was idyllic and exactly what we both needed after all the long hours of preparations earlier in the week. 

We had just enough time to change out of our swimsuits and make it to our massage appointments after lunch. I wished we could have stayed longer in our isolated cabana but the lure of a massage was too good to pass up. 

As expected, the doctor had been right about the massages too. I was glad Thor made me get one because for the first time in two weeks I was completely free of the deep, radiating pain from my right hip down my leg. I was in a state of bliss when I left the spa an hour later. 

I must have looked drunken when Thor met me out in the main lobby afterwards. “Someone feels better.” he commented when he saw me.

“So much better. Thank you for setting that up for me.”

“Did it help with your sciatic at all?”

“Yep. Good as new. I should have done this weeks ago.”

Thor winced, “You’re right. I’m sorry my love.”

I cursed myself, he took my words as a personal failing instead of just simply being what it was. “No, sweetheart. We didn’t know it would help so much. If you hadn’t been so overly sweet and set this up we would have never known.”

“I knew we should have just tried everything she recommended.” 

“Well, we know now. That’s what matters. And next time we’ll know to start with this.”

“Next time?” 

“Well, I don’t think Finn will be an only child. Do you?” I knew this would distract him and it did. 

He grinned and wrapped himself around me, “Very, very unlikely.”

I sighed, melting into his embrace. It had been the perfect day.

“Ready to head home?”

“How long can we stay? It’s so peaceful here.” 

Thor frowned, “Well, we could stay all day but I took the steaks out to thaw for dinner and want to get them marinating. It would be a shame to waste those nice ribeyes you bought.”

“Oh, okay. We can head back.” I was surprised that Thor was willing to leave such a beautiful place so easily but I figured he was planning a nice dinner to end our perfect day. 

There were silver star balloons tied to our mailbox at the end of drive and I shook my head at them. “Who on earth got here early?”

“I don’t know, love. I didn't get any texts.” Thor commented as he pulled out his phone. He was oddly not as intrigued as I was.

“I really thought Laura said they had an early flight. I bet they came out to surprise us.” I desperately hoped I was right. I missed her despite our frequent texting. 

We pulled into the driveway in front of the house and found it filled with cars. Every single one of our friends was standing on our porch and down the stairs. Blue balloons and streamers were tied around the railings and down the poles. A bright blue banner with “Welcome baby Odinson” hung right above the steps. Thor parked in the spot up front that had been left clear for us and came around to help me out. I was speechless and teary eyed as Valkyrie pulled me away from Thor into a bone crushing hug. 

“Careful of your nephew.” I scolded her mildly. 

No sooner had Valkyrie let me go, Laura pulled me in for a hug next. I cried a new at the sight of my dear friend and that was how the beginning of the baby shower went: hugging and crying and lots of “I missed you”s whispered back and forth. All of our friends had come out a day early, not because of flight arrangements as Valkyrie had led me to believe, but for a baby shower. I was shaky from waning adrenaline by the time we’d greeted everyone and Thor held me close for support. Valkyrie came around to support my other side even though Thor was fine on his own. 

“I’m blaming you for this.” I told her.

“Don’t look at me,” she protested. “I just helped with logistics. This was all your stony friend over there.” She pointed at Korg who gave a shy wave. 

“Korg! You did all this?” 

Korg shrugged sheepishly, “Ah, well, ya know. I wanted to do something nice for you guys. The big guy here tells me every day about how excited he is and it got me thinking. So I said to Miek ‘We gotta do something nice for the big guy.’ And Miek got real excited and we started watching those reality TV shows on parties, ya know the ones? And well, here we are!” 

“I am honored, my friend. This turned out perfectly.” Thor said to him.

“Ah, any time mate.” Korg replied, “Come on, then. We have a tea party to attend.” 

Korg showed us around back where our yard had been transformed into beautiful, flower covered garden. White linen covered tables were set up all around with mismatched fine china at every place and large bouquets of my favorite blue flowers in the center. It was so whimsical and elegant. Orchestral music played from speakers set up around the yard and there were uniformed waiters milling around handing out hors d'oeuvres.

“This is so over the top. I can’t believe he did this.” I said quietly to Thor as we took our seats. 

Thor just smiled. A waiter approached with mini tacos on a tray and I took a few. The tacos plus Thor’s lack of surprise solidified for me that something was up.

“You were in on this too, weren’t you?” I accused, “There is no way Korg and Valkyrie pulled this off by themselves. I can absolutely see Korg dreaming it up and Valkyrie setting up the details but this had to be a fortune. So come on, fess up. How involved were you?” 

Thor sighed, knowing you were on to him. “They really did all the work. Korg and Miek spent so much time watching those silly shows and Valkyrie knew who to call to make it happen. All I did was give them suggestions on things you like. And wrote a few checks.” 

“You’re so predictable. This is insane though. It’s like having another wedding reception.” 

“It is a bit much, but how could I ever say no to celebrating the birth of our son?” 

“You big softie.” I pulled him for a kiss that was quickly interrupted by an overly excited Morgan Stark who had slipped past her mother to come over for a hug. She flung her little arms around Thor and squealed when he picked her up.

“Uncle Thor!” She shrieked as soon as her feet were off the ground. 

“Sorry guys.” Pepper said joining us.

“It’s okay. Thor loves it.” I assured her. 

“He spoils her too much.” 

“He spoils everyone too much.”

Pepper laughed, “True enough.” 

The party went on for hours. There was a full tea party complete with a blend of tea that steeped vivid blue thanks to special pea blossoms. The food served were all riffs on things I had been craving and a few of my old standard favorites. It was eclectic and perfect, Thor beamed every time my eyes lit up with recognition of something else I loved. 

Korg had printed out party games, again with Thor’s help for details specific to me, and he walked around handing them out after the meal had wrapped up. It was painfully sweet and only slightly embarrassing as everyone guessed things like my weirdest craving, how many weeks it took for me to buy maternity pants, and how I told Thor the big news. Thankfully Thor had given an edited but still factual account of the last one that he had come to the sonogram picture on the fridge. 

Valkyrie rolled out a table covered with gifts after the games and I groaned. “What happened to no presents!” I called to her. 

“You said no wedding gifts, not no baby shower gifts!” Valkyrie responded cheekily. 

“I should have expected this.”

“Yes, you should have. We all love you two and can’t wait for the little Odinson to make his debut. If you won’t let us spoil you, at least let us spoil the baby. It’s all ridiculous, useless, fun baby stuff too. I know you got all the important stuff already.” Valkyrie shoved a small box at me to start unwrapping as our guests watched on.

Thor dutifully took the wrapping paper as I unwrapped our first gift. It was a pair of hand knit booties made to look like puppy paws. There was a collective awe sound from the crowd when I held them up. Valkyrie handed Thor a large bag for trash and he was collecting the cards after I read them aloud too. Her assessment of the gifts was spot on. There was nothing but fun, cheesy gifts on the cart. We received onesies featuring every single one of the Avengers and several themed bibs too. Thor was delighted by these and kept laughing at the hooded towel that looked like Hulk. My favorite was the mustache pacifier, I couldn't wait to get pictures of Finn using it. 

I was worn out by the time the cleanup crew arrived. Most everyone had left except Valkyrie who was hanging around making sure it was all taken care of. I had resorted to sitting on Thor's lap, leaning on him for support. I yawned occasionally and tried my best to keep my eyes open. It was only seven thirty but it felt much later after our busy day. 

“Are you going to make it over there, mama?” Valkyrie joked.

I yawned again, loud as I could. 

Valkyrie laughed and came over to give me a hug where I sat. “I hope you had fun.”

“I did.” I assured her. “It was perfect.”

“Good. Now, things are almost wrapped up and my ride should be here any minute.” 

“Your ride? How did you get here earlier?”

“I rode up with Korg. Tori is coming to get me and we’re going to that cute new tapas bar they opened by the Wegmans. We want to get together before she loses me to wedding madness for the weekend.” 

“That’s sweet. But why didn’t you just invite her to the wedding? Everyone else got a plus one, you can have one too.”

“I didn’t think to ask her. We’ve only been dating a few weeks. And she doesn’t really know you guys.”

“She knows me about as well as 75% of the people coming to the wedding. All of New Asgard will be there, what’s one more. You like this girl, right?”

“So much. She’s just so cute, and unexpectedly fierce. She would have made a wonderful Valkyrie, no one would have seen her coming.” 

“Then bring her. Seriously, Val. Don’t get caught up in your head over this.” 

The rumble of a motorcycle sounded in the distance, slowly growing closer. Valkyrie’s eyes lit up and I knew it must be Tori. 

Thor assumed the same and looked down at me, “I’d like to meet this girl who thinks she’s worthy of our Valkyrie.” He said before moving. 

I shifted to get off of him so he could stand but he pulled me tightly against him and stood up with me in his arms. 

“Oh come on.” I protested weakly. “I can walk to the front yard.” 

“But you have me and you don’t have to.” Thor rebuked and headed off following Valkyrie to the front where the sound of a motorcycle engine shut off. 

“Hey! Sorry I’m late.” Tori apologized to Valkyrie. She pulled off her helmet letting her long pale blonde fall around her shoulders. It was streaked blue this time and I wondered what she used that gave her such temporary colors. 

“It’s okay, darling. We ran late too.” Valkyrie told her leaning down for a kiss. Tori was at least five inches shorter than Valkyrie and it only served to enhance her elfin appearance standing next to her. “So, I’d like to properly introduce you to my friends. You know Mia from the other day and this giant sap of a man is her fiancé and my best friend, Thor. Guys, this is Tori.”

I gave Tori a little wave from my spot in Thor’s arms, “Hey Tori.”

She giggled, a high tinkling sound that absolutely fit her. “Hey Mia.”

“Thor, put me down a minute. I’ll be fine.” 

Thor scowled but finally set me down on my feet. He wanted to meet the girl and this was his chance. He extended a hand to her, “Hello Tori. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Thor’s palm engulfed Tori’s much smaller hand as they shook but she didn’t waiver. “Nice to meet you too. Val has said nothing but nice things about you.” 

“Ah, so she lied.” Thor teased.

“Shut up you oaf. Be nice to my girl or I’ll come for your head.” Valkyrie grumbled at him. 

Thor chuckled, “I am being nice.” He was very clearly sizing Tori up, taking an assessment of the petite girl who didn’t seem phased to be toe to toe with a mountain of a god. 

“I’m fine, Val. Look at his guy, he’s pure fluff.” She pointed up at him nonchalantly. 

Thor bristled slightly, never having been assumed harmless before. “I’ll have you know…” he started but Tori cut him off.

“Yes, I’ve heard of you before Thor.” Tori said with exaggerated bravado, “God of Thunder. Wielder of Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Savior of the universe. Blah, blah, blah. I don’t live under a rock. But I also know the way Val talks about you and I’ve seen the way your bride to be’s whole face lights up when she talks about you. You’re a big softie and I know you’d never lay a hand on me.” 

Thor opened his mouth to say something but Tori waved her hand at him cutting him off yet again, “And even if you tried, I’m no Avenger but I’m small and fast so I'm pretty sure I could stab you at least once.” 

Thor’s face broke into a grin and his laughter rumbled, a deep belly laugh that had him bending over and wiping a tear from his eye. “I like this one.” He said to Valkyrie as he regained his composure, “She reminds me a lot of my brother.” 

I was astonished by Thor’s casual reference to Loki. It was the first time I’d seen him mention his brother without it being followed by a wave of sadness. I shot Valkyrie a grin, knowing she had picked up on it too. She gave me a half smile and walked over to lay a possessive arm around Tori’s waist. 

“Are you ready?” Tori asked her.

“I am. Let’s go enjoy my last night of freedom before the wedding insanity ensues. Night guys.” Valkyrie turned to head off with Tori and we called our goodbyes to her as well. 

We waited for them to head out and then went back around to ensure the last of the cleaning crew had left as well. I made the mistake of yawning again and found myself back in Thor’s arms as we made our way inside. “You really don’t have to carry me around.” I protested weakly. 

Thor shook his head, “If I had my way these beautiful, swollen, little feet would never touch the ground again.” He kissed my shoulder and pushed the sliding door aside to enter the cold shock of the air conditioned kitchen. 

I hissed at the abrupt change in temperature. “It feels amazing in here.” I sighed, finally feeling cool again. 

“It does.” Thor agreed, “But now we’ve got to get you to bed. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Two more days and you’ll be my wife.” 

“Two days too many.” I joked but there was a ring of truth to it too. I had never wanted anything more than to bind myself to Thor for the rest of our lives. I loved him unequivocally, eternally. It wasn’t a perfect fairytale romance, it was real and messy and honest, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done, wooo! This girl is on a roll. It's a shortie chapter but our guy deserves a fun bachelor party!

We spent the entire day of the rehearsal down in New Asgard hanging out with our friends. It was so rare we got to see everyone in one place and a few hours the previous night just hadn't been enough. Friends Thor hadn’t seen in years like Sam and Bucky even turned up. The rehearsal itself was easy enough but the dinner that followed turned into a house party. It should have been a small gathering of just those in the wedding but somehow shortly after dinner wrapped up our other friends ended up congregating in Valkyrie’s backyard. It had started with a very drunk Sam who showed up demanding they steal Thor away for a bachelor party. Bucky showed up a few minutes later, only slightly more sober than Sam. He at least tried to talk Sam out of stealing Thor. Quill and Rocket arrived next trying to wrangle the pair of drunk soldiers but failing miserably. Apparently there had been a guys night going on at the hotel and one of Thor’s old friends brought out a bottle of Asgardian ale. Things rapidly went downhill from there. 

“Sweetheart, if you want to go out with the guys you should go. Seriously.” I urged him. 

“Why don’t we just let the guys night be here? I’ll be able to keep an eye on you and I’ll still get to hang out with them. Would you mind?” He asked hopefully.

“Of course not. But I really don’t need looked after. Valkyrie and Laura wouldn’t leave me alone for a minute.”

“I might need looked after though.” He nuzzled into my neck, pleadingly. 

“Okay, let’s tell the boys they can stay here. Providing Valkyrie doesn't mind.”

“Valkyrie!” He bellowed over to her. “How would you like to host an impromptu bachelors party?” 

Valkyrie stopped in the middle of shoving Sam away from a tray of fettuccine carbonara. She gave me a questioning look and I nodded my approval. “Hell yes!” She yelled back. She went back to shoving Sam but now she was grilling him for information too, “Who had the good ale?” She demanded. 

The guys gave up a cheer and Bucky headed back to the hotel to gather up the rest of their group and the ale. He ensured he yelled loudly enough for Sam to hear that he was the fastest runner out of all of them. Sam yelled several drunken curses after him, none of which were intelligible through his mouthful of pasta. 

Thor pulled me closer to him, I was all but crushed against his soft chest. “Please, keep an eye on me?” he asked quietly.

I lifted my head up to look at him, “Why, sweetheart? What are you worried about?”

“I don’t want to drink the night before our wedding. I want to feel my best tomorrow and I know how powerful Asgardian ale can be. I used to drink tankards of it, it’s wonderful stuff. But now… I’m worried I’ll slip up.”

“Okay, I appreciate you’re trying. We’ll just make sure the guys know you’re not drinking tonight. I need you functional tomorrow so I’ll be sure they know they’ll be answering to me if they give you even a drop.”

“Thank you, my love.” Thor let out an easy sigh, relieved that I was there for him. 

A few minutes later we could hear the group coming before we saw them. Eleven grown, foolish men, in varying degrees of drunkenness clamored into Valkyrie’s yard, presenting her with the bottle of Asgardian Ale. Valkyrie’s eyes lit up as she snatched the bottle from a man with a long red beard. She took a long chug of the liquid and let out a deafening whoop. Thor laughed at her antics and found himself getting swept up in the fray. As promised, I yelled at the group that Thor wasn’t to have a drop of anything, I needed him in perfect condition in the morning. Hilariously, in their drunken states, they all acted like I was their mother, looking properly chastised and promising to not let him drink. 

I settled back in a padded lawn chair next to Laura and we watched the guys talk Valkyrie into making a bonfire. It was nice having a friend to sit back with while the party continued around us. Nate was passed out on her lap and eventually Lila and Cooper offered to tuck him in. They were getting tired too and wanted to head back. Laura passed her youngest off to her eldest to carry back to their room and she snagged a glass of wine before rejoining me. 

“I love my kids. But I’m so thankful for bedtime.” Laura said with a long yawn.

“I’m sure. I don’t know how you do it every day with three of them.” I told her.

“It’s tiring. You’ll see soon enough. Having a baby is the ultimate test of sleep deprivation. Luckily they’re also adorable and you’re biologically wired to love them to pieces.” 

“I know it’s gonna be a long time before I get a full night’s sleep again. I can function on minimal sleep but Thor is going to be interesting.” 

“I don’t think you can really anticipate what it’s like. It’s like exhaustion but at a whole new degree. You’re going to need to keep an eye on Thor though. Clint was bad enough when he was adapting to having a newborn and his issues weren’t even a fraction of Thor’s. No offense. That came out wrong…”

“None taken! It’s okay. You’re totally right, Thor is probably going to be a handful. I’m expecting it and so is his therapist. We’ll manage things as they come up but there’s also a good chance that for the most part he’ll be too busy with the baby to dwell too hard on all the negative stuff that’s normally going through his head.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Maybe you’ll luck out. And if not, well, you’re the only one who can really get through to him so you’ll still be okay, just a little more tired.”

I laughed at her confidence in me.

“Seriously, Mia. I don’t know what we would have done without you. Everyone tried so hard to help him but he shut them all out. Thor loves you so much and he really listens to you when you try to help him. You two are perfect together.” 

“Thanks. I love him more than anything. I think we both got lucky that Quill responded to the distress signal that day.”

Laura opened her mouth but before she could speak a very intoxicated Clint came rushing over to steal her away. She flailed and screamed at him but didn’t actually fight him off. He carried her over to where the group of guys were hanging out by the newly built bonfire, wanting to show off his beautiful wife. Thor looked over at me with a shrug and a smile. They were having fun and I was glad that he was getting more time with his friends. 

The party lasted late into the night and sometime around two am Valkyrie started kicking people out. I had passed out on Thor’s lap around midnight and woke up to him carrying me to the room we were staying in for the night. “Sorry, my love.” he said whisper quiet as he walked, “I tried not to disturb you.” 

“It’s okay.” I murmured but slipped right back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say, I cannot get over the idea of a super excited and super drunk Sam & Bucky running around new Asgard wanting to throw Thor a bachelor party?? The image in my head is precious beyond words. Thor will forever be my first true-Marvel-hero-love, BUT Bucky Barnes legit makes me swoon like a fourteen year old girl at her first boy band concert.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Squeeing wildly* It's finally wedding day in New Asgard!! Who's ready for the big day?!

The day of the wedding was going to be a busy one and I was thankful we had decided on a 3pm ceremony so that everyone had a chance to sleep in. It was after ten before anyone from our wedding group ventured downstairs for breakfast at the hotel and even then everyone was moving a little slow. Thor was still sleeping with his face smushed into his pillow, limbs akimbo, hair flying out around him. I was worried how late he would sleep if given the chance so I began trailing soft kisses across his shoulders. He stirred finally, cracking one eye open and grumbling. 

“Morning, sweetheart.” I said quietly in between kisses. 

Thor woke a little more and rolled over on to his back with a groan. “Good morning, my love.” he replied sleepily. Without bothering to open his eyes again he reached out and pulled me against him. 

I curled up against his chest, content that we still had a little time before we absolutely had to get up. “It’s our wedding day.” 

“Mmm. That it is. You’re going to be my wife after this.” 

“I am. We only have a little while longer.”

Thor opened his eyes to check the time and groaned. “What time is your first appointment?”

“Noon. We have ninety minutes yet. You have one at that time too, Bruce planned something for a group of you.”

“Can’t we just spend the day in bed and then head down when it’s time?”

I laughed at his petulance, “Not unless you want to marry me while I look like this.”

Thor turned his eyes to me and a slow, appreciate smile spread across his face. “I see nothing wrong with that.”

I rolled my eyes at him, “Of course you don’t. But I do. I have a lovely dress and I’ve been looking forward to getting my nails done for weeks now. I really, really, want a pedicure Thor. My feet are starting to elude my reach.” 

“I’m sure I’ll be able to keep busy for a few hours while you go off with Valkyrie. We’re meeting up in the community gardens at two, right?”

“Yes, we have an hour for photos before the ceremony.” 

“Okay. I need a shower before we head down for breakfast. Care to join me?” Thor stretched with a yawn, ensuring he had my full attention on his body. He knew he was irresistible to me and predictably, I agreed to the shower. 

“How could I say no?” I teased. 

Thor chuckled and picked me up as he stood. I wrapped my arms around his neck, happy to indulge him in his over-pampering. 

The hotel shower was not nearly as large as ours back a Beau Terre but we made do. I spent most of the time plastered up against him, running my soapy hands all over his body enjoying the feel of him under my fingertips. Thor sucked in a harsh breath when my hands lingered on his still-hard morning wood. “Sensitive, love.” he gasped.

“Oh, I don’t have to…” I felt bad I had just assumed he wanted to fool around.

“I want to, just be gentle please.” 

“Okay,” I nodded, taking him in my hand again. I teased his length as softly as I could, using a fraction of the speed and pressure he normally enjoyed. Thor leaned on the shower wall with one hand, supporting himself as he leaned his head back to lose himself in my gentle strokes. I could tell his ab muscles were trembling beneath his soft belly and his thighs clenched and quivered. He was getting close and I was enjoying watching his reactions. Thor had finally had enough, however. “Mia.” he groaned desperately. 

“What do you need, my love?” I asked him without breaking my rhythm. 

“To be inside you. Please, will you let me inside you?”

“Of course.” 

The words were barely out of my mouth and Thor had grasped the backs of my thighs to pull me up around his waist. Holding me carefully he lowered me until he was seated deep inside me and I wrapped my legs around his thick waist. Thor moved me so I was leaning against the shower wall for support and he could cage me in with his arms. I braced my arms on his shoulders as he started moving inside me. His pace was frantic, desperate, and I worried for a moment that my release wouldn’t build fast enough before his. I should have known better to doubt him. Thor shifted so he could lean on one arm and the other slipped down my thighs, his fingers moving in time with his thrusts until I was coming undone around him. My moans were met with ones from Thor as my inner walls clenched around him, sending him over the edge just moments after me. 

Thor didn’t move for a while afterwards, content to just press kisses along my neck and nuzzle against me contentedly. The water was like rain around us and the room was thick with steam. I could have stayed there until my fingers pruned but we still needed time to eat before we parted. “Come on, sweetheart. I need breakfast.” I coaxed him.

“Only if they have pancakes.” Thor grumbled against my neck.

“They do. Chocolate chip marshmallow ones too. But we have to get moving if you want them.”

“Mmph. Fine. But only because there’s chocolate chip and marshmallows.” 

I laughed and Thor set me back down on my feet. I quickly rewashed myself and joined him to get dressed. 

The dining room was transitioning to lunch by the time we made it downstairs much to Thor’s disappointment. All it took was a few kind words about the talent of the chef and they allowed Thor to order a mountain of pancakes anyway. We ate quickly but Valkyrie still found us before we had finished. 

“You realize there will be snacks at the salon, right?” Valkyrie groused. 

I nodded at her, “You realize I’m pregnant, right?” 

Valkyrie made a sour face, “I’m too tired to be mad at you. But hurry it up. Our appointment is at noon and you’re the one making me get all these stupid treatments.” 

“I know, I’m almost done.” I ate the rest of my fruit while Valkyrie tried and failed to steal bites from Thor’s pancakes. He did eventually pass her a small piece on the end of his fork which she took graciously. 

“Miaaaa.” Valkyrie drew out my name in a long whine. 

“Okay, I’m done.” I stood up and went to give Thor a kiss goodbye.

“Miaaaa.” Thor mimicked Valkyrie’s whine.

Valkyrie snorted and I rolled my eyes. “Sorry sweetheart. I do need to go. Text Bruce and let him know you’re up. I’m sure he’s waiting on you.”

“Alright. I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you.” Thor said wrapping me up in arms for a moment. 

“I love you too. See you soon. I’ll be the one in the white dress.” I gave him a wink and headed out with Valkyrie. 

By the time we were done with all the salon treatments I thought Valkyrie was going to kill me. She had never had a manicure, pedicure, hair styling, or makeup application before. You would have thought they were trying to kill her. I kept reminding her she was the one who insisted on tagging along and getting the same things as me. In the end though she looked fantastic. I caught her repeatedly looking at her toes and wiggling them, the rich plum color playing off her bronzed skin perfectly. 

“What do you think Tori is going to think when she sees this?” I teased her taking a picture on my phone.

“That you’re a dead woman most likely.” Valkyrie sassed.

“Really though, you are going to look amazing today. I’m a little worried about being upstaged at my own wedding.” 

“Pffft.” she scoffed “Never going to happen, my darling. I do want to get a picture of me in my dress to send to Tori though.”

“Val, why don’t you just invite her? You’re clearly head over heels for her and it’s not like you’ll be busy every second of today. You’ll have plenty of time after the ceremony to go hang out with her.” 

“I’m sure she has plans, Mia. I can’t just last minute invite her to your wedding. You’ve only met her twice anyway.”

“And there’s Asgardians coming to this wedding I’ve never met. That’s it, I’m inviting her.” I scrolled through my contacts to find her info and hit dial.

Valkyrie was all but going apoplectic in the background while I spoke with her. Tori had no plans for the day and could be there in half an hour. I hung up with a smug smile on my face. “She’ll be here before we’re even done with pictures. If we do the group shots first and then ones of just Thor and I last you’ll have time when she gets here to hang out before the ceremony.” 

Valkyrie gulped a few times, sniffing harshly, before she could speak. “Thank you.” she choked out. 

I crossed the room to hug my best friend, “It’s okay, Val. You’re allowed to have feelings for someone. She seems to really care about you too.”

“I know that but I really like her. I don’t think I’m equipt for this. What if I fuck it up somehow?”

“Then you fix it. Just like Thor and I do. You can’t run away from this. You deserve to be happy too.”

Valkyrie nodded, fighting back tears. “Okay, enough of this. I can’t be doing this. Especially with all the shit they put on my face.”

I laughed as she fanned at her eyes frantically. “Let’s just go get our dresses. We only have ten minutes until pictures anyway.” 

Val slipped into her dress quickly and then helped me into mine. I had a moment of fear it wouldn’t fit but it did. Annabel and her mother had done such a wonderful job with the flowers in my hair and I was careful not to disturb their work as I arranged the straps of the dress. It was fun getting made up and ready but when I looked in the floor length mirror the reality of the day came crashing down on me. I looked like a bride. My perfect dress draped over now prominent bump perfectly and my hair fell around me dotted with crystalline gems and tiny white and blue flowers. I tried to hold back a sob but failed. 

“No! Sweet girl, what’s the matter?” Valkyrie asked, worried. 

I took a few deep breaths, trying to reign in my emotions. “It’s just a lot. I’m gonna marry Thor today. I’m gonna be his wife now. And I just love him so much.” I was rambling and fighting off tears. 

Valkyrie pulled me in for a hug, “I know, sweet girl. He loves you too. No tears, we have to go take pictures and try not to melt in this damn sun.” 

I laughed and sniffled, “I’m definitely going to melt. This little guy in here is like a space heater.” 

“There you go. Now, come on. Let’s go find your husband.” Valkyrie wrapped an arm around mine and we headed down the street to the gardens where Thor and Banner were waiting for us. 

I knew Thor would be dressed up as well but it didn’t stop me from swooning when I saw him. I never considered myself the type of woman who would actually swoon over a man but I absolutely did. Thor was wearing a perfectly tailored navy blue tuxedo with a white shirt, silver vest, and a silver and blue patterned tie. His hair was down and had several beads woven into it with braids. The beads were silver and had archaic looking sigils carved on them and I made a mental note to ask him about their meaning later. His beard was braided the way he liked and he was positively beaming as we came walking down the garden path. I knew it was going to be an emotional day and thought I had prepared myself for that. When I was finally standing in front of Thor tears were welling in his eyes and I broke down again. Thor wrapped his arms around me and I trembled in his embrace. We both sniffled, and laughed. 

“We’re a mess, aren’t we?” I complained.

“Indeed. But I don’t care. You look so beautiful, my love.” Thor kissed the top of my head as I buried my face in his chest, needing the security only his presence could give me. 

“Thanks. You look amazing. Seriously Thor. I’m just in awe.” 

Thor blushed and squeezed me tighter. 

“How come no one is telling me how good I look?” Banner joked. 

“Not my type.” Valkyrie deadpanned. 

Thor and I both laughed at Banner’s shocked expression and I decided the poor guy should probably be warned about Tori. I desperately hoped he had moved on from his feelings for her. “Sorry Bruce.” I told him, “Val’s girlfriend probably wouldn’t want her fawning over a man anyways.” 

Banner paled for a moment and then composed himself, “Ahh I was just kidding. But good for you, Valkyrie. Is your girl coming to the wedding?” 

“She’ll be here soon, actually.” Valkyrie gave me a smirk, grateful I had invited Tori. 

“I didn’t know Tori was coming. This is great.” Thor chimed in.

Clint and Laura arrived with the kids so Nate could be part of the pictures as our ring bearer and Pepper came hurrying in with Morgan a few minutes after them. The kids looked precious and were already playing when Annabel and her mother arrived. The photographer was all set up by the time we had gotten caught up with each other and started the first set of group photos over by the fountain. 

I thought an hour of photographs would be easy but by the time we had finished with the group shots my energy was drained by the sun and constant posing. Thor got me settled in a chair with a bottle of water and a portable fan and I was struggling to not freak out over how I was going to get through another round of pictures. Out of nowhere I heard a high pitched squeal and the click clack of heels on the walkway. Tori was running down the path, arms outstretched, and she barreled right into a very surprised Valkyrie. I giggled watching Valkyrie spin her around and Tori grabbed her by the cheeks and pulled her down for an almost indecent kiss. Valkyrie’s blush was absolutely scarlet as she linked her fingers with Tori’s and took her around the group to make her introductions. 

“I really do like that girl.” Thor commented. 

“Me too,” I agreed, “They’re good together.”

Thor nodded, “You ready for more pictures or do you need more time?” 

“Let’s do a few of us and if I need another break I’ll let you know. I need to be able to get through the ceremony so I’m not going to risk wearing out beforehand.” 

Thor waived over the photographer and we got started on the series of shots he had planned for us. I held up for twenty minutes and then we called it quits for the day. We had plenty of pictures at that point and I needed to sit down and drink more water before the ceremony. Tori was buzzing around Valkyrie and I, helping to fix our makeup while we cooled off in the air conditioned tent set up just for us to hang out in before the ceremony. Thor chatted with Clint and Bruce while the kids played and Laura and Pepper finally got a chance to catch up. It was heartwarming watching our extended family gathered and having fun, there to support us on such a monumental part of our lives. Annabel’s mother was adjusting the flowers in my hair and Tori was almost done fixing my makeup when the officiant came into the tent to announce it was time. The older woman was dressed in flowing white robes, her silver hair pulled back in a long single plaited braid. She asked Thor to join her at the altar while the music started up. 

I shot a smile over at Thor, elated that it was finally time. He looked a little nervous but Banner clapped a hand on his back and whispered something that had him laughing. Valkyrie and Banner headed out as the music started up and then Pepper, Laura, and Annabel’s mother ushered the group of children out. Clint hung back with me, waiting for our cue. It had been a last minute decision to have him walk me down the aisle and it just felt right. “You ready for this? No refunds on the big guy after this.” Clint joked.

I nodded, trying to hold back happy tears. “Yeah, I’m ready. Thank you for being here with me.”

“Of course. I’m honored, Mia.” 

The music swelled and we headed down the long white satin aisle to where the rest of the wedding party was waiting for me. The grassy lawn was filled with white chairs and smiling guests. Everything was so perfectly set up, the white flower arch over the altar, and the backdrop of the cliff and clear blue waves. I was speechless at the sight and I gripped poor Clint’s arm tightly. My eyes locked in on Thor in his beautiful blue tux waiting for me at the end of the aisle. He was breathing heavily, his eyes welling up, and I noticed he was still a tad pale. Banner was whispering something to him and then, out of nowhere, my perfect almost-husband collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Just pretend ya'll can hear me cackling as I press "post"...


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, let's get on with this wedding! It's taken us a while to get here but it's time ya'll.

Chaos erupted as Thor went down. Banner in a flash morphed into his Hulk-hybrid form giving himself enough strength to keep Thor from hitting the ground. Valkyrie scrambled to grab him and the kids thankfully all moved backwards. I ran, all but dragging Clint behind me, racing to get to him. We skidded to a stop on the white satin aisle runner, and I knelt down to get a good look at Thor who was cradled on Banner’s lap as he sat down in the grass. Clint took over crowd control, assuring everyone Thor was fine and just overheated. Our friends came up to form a protective barrier around our little group and I was more thankful than ever for all the Avengers in attendance. 

I waited, stroking Thor’s hair and calling his name softly until his mismatched eyes fluttered open again. I held back a sob of relief and Thor looked around extremely confused. 

“Hey, sweetheart.” I said pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“How did I get here? And why is Banner bigger than me?” he asked slowly.

Banner chuckled but left it to me to explain, “Well, I think it was just a whole lot of things but you went down, love.” I told him with an apologetic half smile. 

“I’ve ruined our wedding day.” Thor was horrified. 

“No, no, not at all sweetheart. You just delayed the ceremony for a few minutes.”

“I fainted in front of several hundred people. Oh my god, I can’t do this.” he started breathing heavily again and fear stabbed me that he would pass out again.

“No. Thor, I need you to focus on me a minute.” Thor’s eyes met mine and he realized I wasn’t going to back down, “Listen, it’s a hot day, you’re in a stifling suit, and you’re allowed to be emotional as hell at our wedding. This is okay. I’m not upset. No one is harboring any emotion other than worry for your well being and patience as they wait for the ceremony to start.” 

“You gave us a scare big guy.” Banner told him and Thor looked up to realize he was using his friend as a chair.

“I’m so sorry. I’m….” Thor’s voice broke off and he scrubbed at his face.

“No worries, Thor. You’re lucky I have that trick up my sleeve or you would’ve had one hell of a bump on your head.” 

“Thank you, my friend. Mia, what do we now?” his eyes searched mine, he was trying so hard to keep it together and I wanted nothing more than to take him and leave. We could get married another day for all I cared, he was more important than a fancy ceremony. But he had wanted this so much and I wanted to find a way to give him a modified version of our perfect day. 

“Okay, here’s what we do.” I announced, my mind in planning mode, “Bruce, you’re going to need to shrink back down and pray that your suit holds up. If not, we’re going to need someone to run and get him something else to wear. Valkyrie, you’re going to go get us five chairs. Once my adrenaline runs out I’m gonna need a seat and Thor, I don’t trust you on your feet right now.” 

Everyone paused, just staring at me, “Go! Come on people, we have a wedding to get to.” I shooed them off. 

Banner moved back and let Thor sit on the grass with me while he excused himself to go try and save his suit and get back down to his previous size. Valkyrie bolted off with Sam in tow to collect chairs and thankfully Pepper was distracting the kids. Thor looked miserable and still pale. “It’s going to be okay.” I told him. I moved my dress around so I could sit right up against him, pulling his arm around my shoulders.

“I can’t believe I did that. How can you still want to go through with this? All I had to do was stand there.” Thor rambled, on the verge of tears again.

I took his hand in mine and gave it a squeeze, “Because I love you, forever. It’s that simple, remember?” 

“You always say that.”

“And I always mean it. Come on, Thor. We knew there was a chance the pressure of the day would get to you. Didn’t you and Dr. Grant make a plan if things started getting to be too much?”

“We did. I had affirmations and breathing exercises, and I was going to be fine. But this god awful suit is so heavy and it’s so hot in this sun. And there are so many people here. I was managing but then I saw you.”

“Blaming me, huh?” I teased.

“No! Well, a little.” Thor let out a shaky laugh and I poked him in the side, laughing along with him. “You look so beautiful. I was completely stunned when you came out of the tent with Clint. I just couldn’t believe this was all happening, you’re going to be my wife, and you’re carrying our son. My love for you is overwhelming and it… well… it overwhelmed me.” 

“I understand. Big emotions are going to take time to process and that’s okay. I want to be here and help you through them. Today just kind of got away from us with the heat and other stuff. It’s a little funny, I honestly thought I’d be the one to pass out earlier.”

“Are you not okay?” 

“I’m fine. It’s just the damn heat and emotions getting to me too. Your son is a space heater in my tummy and I was running too warm to start with. But I’m fine, promise.” 

Valkyrie and Sam returned with the chairs and set them up around the altar for the adults to sit down for the ceremony. The kids would be able to sit on the aisle runner like they were going to anyway. It took a little longer for Banner to return and when he did he was wearing the same undershirt and tie but had a new charcoal grey suit on. It mostly fit and I wondered who had given up a suit for him. I would need to find whoever it was later and thank them personally. 

Clint sent a baffled glare to his wife and then at Banner. I couldn’t hold back my laugh. “Thank you, Clint.” 

Clint scowled at me then, “Don’t thank me. Laura must’ve given it to him. That’s my second favorite suit he’s stretching the seams on.” 

“Regardless, I’m glad you had it with you.”

“Nate always likes to make a mess right after I get ready for something, so I figured it was safer to have a back up. I didn’t think Banner would be stealing it but it works.” 

“You saved the day.” 

Clint’s cheeks reddened and he gave me a nod before he went over to undoubtedly give his wife a hard time for parting with his second favorite suit. 

“See, love, everything is going to be just fine.” I reassured Thor.

He nodded but didn’t look confident.

“Let’s get you up and into a chair and then we can have the perfect, beautiful wedding you spent all this time planning.” I gave a shout to Bucky who came over to help give Thor a hand getting to his feet. Super soldier strength was convenient to have on standby. 

The officiant was blessedly patient as we got everyone situated at the altar and ready for the ceremony. The event staff had run water bottles around to everyone and no one seemed overly restless as the ceremony started at long last. The ceremony was a blend of old customs and new, incorporating beautiful readings from Sojuran texts and the standard Asgardian traditions like the sharing of a consecrated cup and exchanging of daggers. Clint had offered up one of his knives for this part since my family didn’t have any. It was going perfectly and I watched Thor’s face carefully for signs of distress as the officiant got to the vows. I knew this was the part that would be most emotional for him and thankfully he seemed to be holding up okay. 

Thor shifted in his chair to face me and took my hands in his. He began repeating the words to me, the same ones he had started reciting to me on the sofa at the Millennium many months ago. “Mia Grace Kyalan, I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink of my cup. I pledge to you my living and dying, both are in your care. I shall be a shield to your back as you are to mine. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to carry your burdens as my own and to give you solace in times of sorrow. I shall honor you above all others and encourage you in all your passions. I will love you more each day for the rest of our lives, from now until Valhalla calls me home.” His voice wavered a few times but Thor made it through every verse, the words tumbling out in his low, rich timbre. Tears welled in both our eyes and I giggled as we both sniffled and Pepper crouch-ran up with a pack of tissues. I shrugged at her. We were a mess, but we were a mess together. I looked along the front row of our closest friends and there was not a dry eye in sight. 

The officiant waited until we had settled and then started on my vows. “Thor Odinson, I pledge to you…” I clung to my crumpled tissue as I recited the same vows back to Thor. The love shining bright in his eyes while I spoke was enough to have me sniffling through the last few words but I managed. 

Nate was called up with his stack of boxes and he presented two to each of us, one with our crowns and one with our rings. Thor and I exchanged them with one another and then after another beautiful passage, we were announced as husband and wife. Thor pulled me from my seat onto his lap, not waiting to be told to kiss his bride. “My wife.” he whispered right before he crushed his lips down on mine. The guests cheered loudly, whistles and clapping thundering around us. I was lost for a moment in the kiss but as he pulled away the sound of the cheering crowd zoomed back in. Thor let me off his lap so we could stand, and with his arm wrapped around my waist we walked down the aisle as man and wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious about the vows... they are a mix of traditional Viking and Pagan vows with my own spin on things. I knew I wanted to go Viking because... Thor... and the Pagan stuff is just straight up influenced by my happily little pagan teenage years. Also, my dad's family is of Viking descent (we can trace it back to 1310 before the island our family lived was permanently flooded out!) so this was super cool to research for me. I hope you all enjoyed the ceremony as much as I did dreaming it up.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reception time and some nice, warm, fluffy smutty wedding night lemons :)

Because of the commotion at the start of the ceremony, the reception was much more subdued for Thor and I. We were given leave to sit back at the head table and enjoy each other’s company while people made their way over to express their best wishes. I was thankful we weren’t making the rounds as we had planned, my feet had started to swell again and I sat with my bare feet up in Thor’s lap. People milled around enjoying the buffet style food, and dancing to the live band playing off to the side. The white canopy tent over the space was dotted with tiny, sparkling, white lights and it looked like something out of a fairy tale. It was nice being able to watch our friends dance and celebrate together in such a beautiful space and I was looking forward to all the pictures we would have of the day. 

At some point after the obligatory dances ended Valkyrie had caved in and claimed her girlfriend for the night. It was about that time Banner had excused himself and headed off with Clint. I scanned the room for Banner but couldn’t find him. I could only hope he was holding up okay after the craziness of the day. 

Tori had perched on Valkyrie’s lap and was nibbling at pieces of cake she insisted on feeding her. Tori made a particularly high pitched shriek as Valkyrie threatened to tickle her and Thor let out a chuckle and a yawn. 

“We don’t have to stay all night, love.” I reminded him.

“I know. But I did want to get one more piece of cake. It was really good.” he wrinkled his nose in consideration as he gazed longingly at the cake table. 

“Get me one too? Your son has a sweet tooth.” 

“Anything for my wife. And my son.” Thor beamed with pride as he sat me back on my own chair. 

Valkyrie whispered something to Tori before setting her down and swooping into Thor’s chair. I could smell the Asgardian ale on her and she wore an inebriated grin, “Come here you.” she insisted and pulled me onto her lap. 

Valkyrie was a much bonier seat than Thor but I made myself comfortable on her lap. “What are you up to?” I asked her.

“Ah I just want to give the big guy a hard time. I half expected him to carry you around all night. But he put you down, so now you’re mine.”

“Too late, Brunnhilde. She’s my wife now.” Thor’s reminded his friend.

Neither one of us had heard him approach and Valkyrie about dropped me when she jumped at his voice. She composed herself in time and wrapped her arms around me tighter, “You’re the one who set her down to go get more cake. What is that, your third? I’ve claimed your woman now. ” 

Thor’s cheeks reddened when she called him out on the third slice of cake but he narrowed his eyes, still plotting, “Okay, if that’s how you want to play it.” He sat the plates of cake down and strolled casually over to Tori. He whispered something to her and she nodded, giggling. “I’ll just steal this little one away then.” Thor announced and scooped Tori up into his arms.

Valkyrie’s eyes widened and I hopped out of her lap so she could spring up and race after Thor. He was not really trying to get away but she slammed into him when she caught up. “Mine!” Valkyrie growled snatching her girlfriend from his arms into her own. Thor laughed and shoulder checked her playfully before returning to my side. Valkyrie showered Tori with kisses and proceeded to carry her off; the two retiring for the evening with only a quick wave goodbye. 

Other guests had started to head out and by the time we’d finished our cake and were ready to leave we only had a few close friends to say goodnight to personally. Most of the Asgardians were still drinking and partying, and probably would be late into the night but to them we just gave a quick thank you and goodnight to the group. Thor had attempted to carry me back to our room but I was insistent that I wanted to stretch my legs. While I didn’t doubt his strength, I was very concerned about him exhausting himself unnecessarily after having collapsed earlier in the day. 

Back in the quietness of our room, the weight of the day finally wore down on both of us. Thor flopped down heavily on the bed and I crawled in next to him. Neither one of us even bothering to get changed. After a few silent minutes Thor rolled onto his side, smiling at me. “Hello, wife.” he said suggestively.

I smirked at his obvious intentions, “Hello, husband.”

“You know, I intend to take my husbandly duties very seriously.” 

“I have no doubt.” 

“I’m fairly certain one of the wedding night duties involves helping you out of that lovely dress.” He ran a finger along the sheer lace on my shoulder and I shivered at the contact.

“I would never stand in the way of your duties.” As comfortable as I was, I forced myself up, Finn giving a small flutter in my stomach at the shift in positions. Thor rolled off his side of the bed and came around to help me with the dress. It wasn’t overly complicated but the zipper in the back was beyond my reach and Thor slid it down for me, running the back of his hand along my spine as he went. Once the zipper was completely undone, Thor slid his palms under the lace on my shoulders and slowly slid the dress down past my waist until it pooled in a heap on the floor. I was bare except for a delicate pair of white lace panties and Thor hummed appreciatively at the sight. 

Thor pulled me closer and I could feel him harden against me while he pulled the flowers from my hair. He took his time, focused on his task despite the throbbing need I could feel pulsing against me through his tuxedo pants. Once finished, Thor began rubbing my shoulders and neck lightly, pressing kisses to my back as he went. I was too impatient, having wanted to get him out of the tuxedo all day. Thor gave me an amused look when I spun around to capture his hands in mine. “I’ve been waiting all day to do this.” I admitted aloud as I pushed the jacket off of his shoulders. 

My already racing heart leapt at Thor’s deep chuckle and the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He was watching me closely as I undressed him and my fingers stuttered on his shirt buttons. I wanted to take my time just as he had done with me, so once his chest was bare I ran my hands across his broad chest and down his soft belly, enjoying the feel of his warm, silken skin under my fingers. Thor’s head tilted back and he let out a quiet moan as I explored. It would never get old, no matter how many times my fingers traced the lines and curves of his body. I was trembling by the time my fingers danced across the waistband of his pants, tugging a little to get them unbuttoned and sliding them down along with his underwear until he bare before me. 

“Are you cold, my love?” he asked, rubbing his hands along my arms for warmth.

I shook my head, “No, I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed.” 

Thor pulled back to assess me with a frown. “We don’t have to…”

“No!” I stopped his train of thought immediately, “I want to. I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot actually. But it’s a lot, you know? We’re married now. I’m your wife, and you’re my husband. Forever. And I’m just so happy…”

Thor pulled me against his chest, engulfing me in his warmth and love. “Shh. I know. I know.” 

I melted against him, letting all the built up emotions from the day roll over me like waves. Thor didn’t rush, he just held me tightly until eventually I started running my hands along his sides, beginning my exploration once again. I littered kisses across his soft chest and took a moment to look up and enjoy the way his eyes lit up at my gentle touches. Leaning down, Thor captured my lips with his and he navigated us back onto the bed, never breaking contact. 

We both took our time, just touching for the sake of closeness and enjoying the little moans and gasps it sometimes elicited. It felt like hours before Thor cupped my sex in his hand and began grinding small circles against me with the heel of his palm while his deft fingers slipped between my folds. I was writhing beneath him as the first climax barreled through me and I clung to his shoulders to brace myself against the sensation. Thor made a throaty noise and his eyes darkened as he gentled me down from my peak. He showered my chest with hot kisses letting me catch my breath but was guiding himself inside me before I could calm completely. I arched against him at the stretch of my body accommodating his. The slow drags of his gentle thrusts had me shaking head to toe again and I couldn’t stop the breathless moans as he hit just the right spot deep inside. 

Thor was always careful with me but this time he caressed my skin like I was made of glass. He moved our bodies so slowly together I thought I’d go mad from the agonizing want for more. I tried bucking beneath him to spur him on but it was futile. Thor reached down, slowly rubbing his fingers across my already sensitive nub while his hips continued their lazy rhythm and a wild, keening sound broke free from my throat. It was all so slow and sweet, the burn of pleasure electrifying my veins until I slowly tumbled over the edge once more. His name was drawn out in my mindless cries and he fell over the edge with me, unable to restrain himself any longer. 

I was boneless beneath Thor as he propped himself up so he didn’t have to move right away. Coherent thought was a struggle and I grumbled wordlessly when he finally rolled off of me leaving me cold without his body heat surrounding me. Thor pulled me onto my side so I could sleep curled up against him and I was still trying to think of a way to express my absolutely joy over our wedding day when I fell asleep in his arms. 

The day after our wedding was almost as emotional as the day itself. We bid our dearest friends goodbye as they left New Asgard to return to their homes, leaving us alone again one by one. We cried and hugged well into the afternoon until it was just us and Valkyrie hanging out in the garden out behind the inn. I was almost tempted to spend another night before heading back home but I missed the comfort of our bed and the quietness we could only find out in the woods on our little farm. 

We arrived home just before sunset after having made an impromptu dinner stop along our way. Thor scooped me up in his arms before I could step foot outside the car and carried me across the threshold while I giggled and reminded him of the day we moved in and he had done the exact same thing. It was good to be back home and I hadn’t expected to feel any different being married considering how long we had been living together. It was a little different though, nothing drastic just a little warm flutter deep in my chest as the reality of being married sunk in. Neither of our lives had been easy but we had made it so far and were making a better path together. We were married, with a beautiful home of our own, and a baby on the way. Life was going to be better, easier, and we would finally have some down time before the birth to prepare ourselves for our next great adventure: parenthood.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, the last chapter. I can't believe we're finally here. 
> 
> Heads up/ spoiler alert: Mia gives birth in this chapter. I don't go into any sort of horrific detail but I mean... it's a birth. Being a mom of two I am probably a little anesthetized to the whole thing but it could potentially make people uncomfortable so there's your heads up. You can always skip the actual birth bit and still get most of the chapter. And also, please keep in mind child birth is not a one size fits all sort of event. Everyone's experience is different. Mia's is mildly reminiscent of mine because it's what I know.

October rolled in with a cold front filled with storms and it started to truly feel like autumn around Beau Terre. It seemed like overnight all the trees turned from green to brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. Thor had discovered the autumn loving craze and had purchased pumpkin spice everything as soon as it was available in stores. I was fine with most of the foods but drew the line at the candles as the heavy spicy scent bothered my nose just a little too much. One unexpected perk to the cooler weather was Thor learning the wonders of a soft flannel shirt. He bought a ridiculous number of flannels and wore them around most days when he was working outside. Pregnancy hormones in full swing, I thoroughly enjoyed him walking around looking like a lumberjack fantasy come to life. 

Married life agreed with both of us and we spent a lot of time teasing each other with our new titles of husband and wife. Our lives were overall unchanged by the legally binding document except for the week I spent changing everything over to my new last name. Thor had actually offered to take my last name at one point when I was particularly frazzled by the long and complicated process. But after a weeks worth of various forms I was officially an Odinson. Thor absolutely glowed when everything was finalized which made it all worthwhile. 

We finished our baby prepping with four weeks left until my due date and I was all set to start weekly doctor’s visits too. Thor wanted to pack a go bag but I was dragging my feet until Finn’s “coming home” outfit arrived. We still had time and I was starting to get a little nervous. Thor was ready to ban me from the mommy blogs after a particularly tearful afternoon but I wanted to read up as much as I could in preparation. 

I became restless as the days wore on, rainy weather keeping me indoors most days. Laura teased that I was nesting but I still had a little over two weeks left and it really wasn’t anything more than being cooped up for too many days in a row. With Sojuran pregnancies it was uncommon to be early or late by more than a handful of days so I assured her there was no need for concern. 

The first dry day we had I was outside pulling up the last of the vegetable patch and preparing it for the winter. Our summer plants were done and the vegetables harvested. Thor took advantage of the day to throw up temporary stakes, mapping out where we could install an in-ground pool in the spring. I was grabbing a set of stakes for myself when the first twinge of pain hit. It wasn’t much, no more than bad cramps. I carried on setting things up so I could show Thor where we would have room for a chicken coop out near the stables. I was just about done when it happened again and it was definitely not from bending over that time. 

“Hey sweetheart.” I greeted Thor as he joined me in front of my setup. “What do you think about putting in a coop here?” 

“You are still set on those funny looking chickens, aren’t you?” he sighed.

“They’re gorgeous and they lay the prettiest eggs. Think of how nice it will be to have fresh eggs.” 

“I’m not saying no. Who am I to deny my wife anything? This would be a fine spot for the coop. I might be able to build you one if Maurice and I can get plans for what you want.” 

I hissed as another twinge of pain hit. I breathed for a moment as Thor watched on warily. “I’m okay, just a little twinge.” 

“Is it Finn? Should we call the doctor?”

“He’s fine. I’m fine. We don’t need to call. Remember last week she warned us about the possibility of Braxton Hicks contractions now that he’s running out of space?”

“Yes, but what if something is going wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, love. We still have two weeks to go. It’s just part of pregnancy.” 

“Fine but I’m taking you back to the house.” Thor leveled me with a look and I didn’t protest when he scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to the house. 

I was tucked into a mound of pillows and blankets fit for a queen by the time Thor had me settled in on the sofa to rest for a bit. He fussed around the kitchen making me a snack and a cup of tea and I smirked at him when he returned with a tray laden with treats. “You’re going to spoil me too much.” I teased. 

Thor shook his head, “Impossible. Here, drink up and see if this settles things.”

The cup was filled with a fragrant brew of chamomile and lavender and I let it warm my hands as it cooled down. The twinges were sporadic at best and I mostly ignored them as Thor and I settled in to watch a movie for the afternoon. We were almost halfway through when the twinges became actual pain. The first jolt of true pain bolted through me and I could feel the muscles in my stomach clamping down through it. I let out an involuntary yelp and Thor flew off the sofa, going to find his phone to call the doctor. 

“Sweetheart we have time.” I yelled after him. I glared at him while I panted through the pain and tried to regain my bearings. Then a flood of water proved me wrong. “My water broke.” I said quietly, so unhappy to have to worry him further. 

Thor was trying to keep his voice steady and calm while he filled in the nurse but his voice cracked a little when he told her my due date and that I was Sojuran. There was a lot of nodding and sounds of agreement as the call wrapped up and faint lines of stress formed at the edges of Thor’s eyes. 

“They need us to come in right away.” he told me after he hung up the phone. 

I sighed heavily, reminding him that even if I was in labor there’s not much they could do until I was further along. I knew it wasn’t good that I was going in to labor so soon but I refused to acknowledge the fear that was simmering in the back of my mind. 

“Please, my love. Please just listen to the doctor and let’s go get you checked out. It’s still so early. I don’t want to risk…” Thor choked up and I realized how scared he must be of the uncertainty of childbirth.

I threw my arms around my big, strong husband; comforting him the best I could. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. But we’ll go and have the doctor tell you that herself.”

Thor nodded, his eyes still glassy, and he lead me out to his truck making sure I wasn't in any pain. 

The ride to the hospital was quick and I only had two bouts of pain along the way. Dr. Baker was ready for us as soon as we arrived and had me ushered up to the fourth floor and into an exam room. I recounted the initial twinges of pain and their progression to her and she nodded along making the occasional note on her file. 

“It’s definitely too soon by Sojuran standards but you are in labor.” Dr. Baker said, her tone comforting. “I don’t think Finn will be in any distress if we deliver today but if your due date is off by even a few days we could be looking at undeveloped lungs and other complications. You’re right at the edge of what’s considered premature and just an early bird.” 

Thor blanched and I gripped his hand in mine, trying to give him support. “But we’re pretty confident in our estimate, right?” I asked, hoping to give Thor some reassurance. 

“As much as we can be, yes. Typically we would stop your labor but with your water breaking it removes that option. We can make you comfortable and get you to a delivery suite but other than that, all we can do is wait and see. We have a level three NICU here and the team will be on standby if he shows any signs of distress.”

I nodded, trying to accept the uncertainty of the situation. “Okay, thank you doctor.”

Dr. Baker left us, letting us know that we would be moved to a delivery suite as soon as one was prepped. 

Thor was still pale and had started wringing his hands in his lap. His breathing was measured, his whole body tense. 

“Why don’t you call Val and let her know what’s going on? This could take a really long time and she’ll want to know.” I suggested, hoping the distraction would be good for him.

Thor didn’t seem to fully register my words and his gaze was unfocused, “What if…” he trailed off with a broken sound and he lowered his head into his hands.

“Nope.” I stopped his train of thought, “Absolutely not. Finn is fine. I am fine. We know damn well when he was conceived and he’s just being impatient like his mama.” 

Thor didn’t speak but wrapped himself around me in the hospital bed like a blanket. Knowing he was not coping, I dialed Valkyrie myself.

“Hey Mia.” She sounded distracted but at least she answered.

“Hey. So I need you to not freak out. Because we have enough freaking out going on over here.” I told her sternly.

“What’s wrong?” I suddenly had her full attention.

“I’m in labor.” Valkyrie shrieked but I continued, “Calm down damnit. We’re at the hospital and we’ll be here for awhile.”

“The big one next to your OB’s office?”

“Yep, that one. You don’t have to come, I just wanted to let you know.”

“You still had a few weeks left though, yeah?” 

“We should be okay but we won’t know for sure until he’s here.” 

“I’m leaving now. The fishermans union can kiss my ass if they think they’re more important than my nephew. How’s the big guy holding up?”

“Not too hot at the moment. I’m calling Dr. Grant next so she can talk to him for a bit.” 

“Okay, I’ll be there in an hour. Cross your legs or something if you have to but do NOT give birth until I get there.” 

I laughed at her concern, “It’ll be hours and hours still. Relax, Auntie, you won’t miss a thing.” 

Thor was still wrapped up around me while I hung up with Valkyrie and I spent a few minutes just finger combing his long, curling golden hair. I was worried too but I also had a bone deep knowledge that our son was coming and it was going to be just fine. I dialed Dr. Grant and when I explained to her receptionist what was going on I was connected with her right away. I tapped on Thor’s shoulder lightly, trying to break him free from his thoughts. 

“Hey love. Dr. Grant is on the phone for you.” I told him softly. 

Thor looked up with a scowl but took the phone. 

I caught bits and pieces of what she was telling him and slowly some of the tension released from his shoulders as she talked him through a few breathing techniques and mantras. 

“You’re supposed to call her back if I start worrying you again.” he told me after he hung up. 

“Okay, I can do that. You doing a little better?” 

“I’m still worried but I know what to do to manage the worst of it.”

Valkyrie arrived right as they were moving me to the delivery suite and I laughed despite the pain at the glare she gave the nurse when he asked if she was permitted in the delivery suite. I assured him she was but would have enjoyed watching her go toe to toe with the poor man if he had tried to ban her. 

Valkyrie ended up being exactly what Thor needed in the long hours leading up to Finn’s birth. She was lit up with nervous, excited energy and kept his mind occupied and upbeat for most of the time. He did call Dr. Grant back at one point but did well holding it together otherwise. 

The contractions seemed to go on for hours as their pace rapidly increased. I lost all ability for rational thought when they were less than two minutes apart, lasting longer and longer each time. Dr. Baker was encouraging and I had Thor on my right and Valkyrie on my left when I was finally allowed to push. The speed at which things had accelerated left no time for him to worry and Thor was completely focused on me in the moment as I delivered our son into his waiting arms.

It was 9:36pm on the twelfth of October when Finn Loki Odison came into the world. Five pounds four ounces, and sixteen inches long; he was so tiny but absolutely perfect. Finn flailed as soon as he was in Thor’s hands and screamed like a demon. I was relieved to hear his strong lungs and any residual worry I had about him being too early dissipated. 

Thor, on the other hand, was not doing too well. “Why is he so small?” he asked the doctor in a daze. He handed Finn off to the waiting nurses to be checked out and cleaned but then sat frozen in place. “There’s so much blood. Why is there so much blood?” his voice was eerily hushed and distant and I tried to sit up to get him to come away from the end of the delivery bed. 

“That’s about enough of that.” Valkyrie announced and strong armed Thor away. 

I wanted to comfort him but the doctor and nurses needed time to get everything settled with me so I could go rest in a regular maternity room. 

“Come on now, we need to get out of their way and go find your son.” Valkyrie pulled on Thor towards the door. 

It was almost an hour later when I was settled into a room and Thor walked in carrying Finn who was crimson faced from crying, little fists bunched up and shaking. Thor’s eyes were red rimmed and he seemed utterly exhausted. “They said he was hungry.” Thor told me as he handed me our son.

“Makes sense. How are you holding up?” I asked him. I moved Finn to my breast and sighed in relief when he instinctively latched on after only a little coaxing. 

Thor nodded and then shook his head, unable to form words as tears welled in his eyes again. 

“Hey, no. It’s okay. We’re all okay, love.” I reached out with my free hand and clasped his forearm trying to get his attention.

“They said he’s okay. He’s small but everything was developed enough for him to thrive. He’s so tiny but he’s perfect. You’re perfect, you were amazing. I can’t even begin to thank you…” Thor’s rambling trailed off into tears and he wrapped an arm around me getting as close as he could without disturbing Finn. 

“It’s okay. I love you.” I pressed kisses against his shoulder letting him ride the wave of emotion that had bubbled up. We sat quietly together for a bit until Finn was done and started snuggling against me for another nap. He made a few soft, sleepy noises and was out like a light. “He’s just perfect.” I whispered to Thor. 

My love for Thor had been so enormous and unexpected but the love I felt for our son was even greater. It was nothing like I’d ever felt before and I was lost in awe, just staring at his sleeping form. He had Thor’s hands which I pointed out with a laugh, as well as his general face shape. His eyes were the intense blue expected of a newborn and I hoped that as they changed they would stay blue like Thor’s. “We made a mini you.” I told him with pride.

Thor nodded and kissed the top of my head, “He has your mouth though, that perfect cupid’s bow. I still can’t believe he’s here.”

“I know. It feels weird holding him on the outside now. I feel… empty? In a way? It’s hard to describe.” 

“Let me know what I can do for you, my love. I would bring you the stars to wear around your neck if you asked it.”

“Aren’t you poetic this evening?” I joked lightly. 

Thor’s chest rumbled with a sound of approval, “On the day you brought our child into the world? Absolutely.” Thor craned his head down for a kiss, firm and grateful against my lips. There was no need to deepen, or rush it. We were exhausted, and content, and elated all at once and it beat out our wedding day as the best day of my life. 

We were able to take Finn home to Beau Terre three days later. After a brief stint in a warming isolet the first day to help him maintain his internal temperature he was considered perfectly healthy. The drive seemed to take forever, Thor not willing to drive even a mile over the speed limit. I knew Valkyrie had been running things back home for us so our friends could all assemble to meet Finn but I didn’t comprehend just how many people that would be. 

Someone, most likely Valkyrie, had left a spot to park open by the house with a “#1 Dad” sign for Thor. The rest of our gravel driveway was filled with cars and trucks. 

“Good thing we bought an old B&B, huh?” I joked, still slightly in shock. 

“We have many people who love us and wish to share in our joy.” Thor said proudly. 

I went around to get Finn and his car seat out but Thor cleared his throat and shot me a look, “No lifting more than ten pounds. The car seat is eight and he is five. I will take him in and come back for the rest.” 

I sighed, knowing it wasn’t worth arguing and let Thor wrap the arm not carrying Finn around my waist. 

The house was buzzing with people when we entered. All of our nearest and dearest were scattered around talking and nibbling at plates of breakfast when we walked in but it all stilled when Laura Barton yelled “Welcome home!” 

It was a flurry of commotion as everyone turned their attention on us. I couldn’t help but be slightly overwhelmed seeing everyone gathered together for us again so soon after our wedding. We made our way around greeting everyone and Thor was positively beaming with pride. Eventually Valkyrie set us up with plates of food and seats on the sofa while she, Laura, and Tori took turns holding Finn. 

I looked up at Thor who was talking with Valkyrie about the newest expression Finn had started making when he was hungry and I let myself bask in the warmth of the moment. That was when I knew we had really done it. It hadn’t been easy or without bumps, but somehow we had created the life for ourselves that we had always wanted. Nothing could ever bring back Asgard or Sojuran or our families, but we had created something that was perfect in it’s own way. We had a home, a child, friends who were our family by choice, and each other. All the love and comfort I had longed to bring Thor was there and he was absolutely radiating with it. I didn’t have any grand illusions that our lives would be perfect but this moment, this was Thor’s happily ever after, and mine too. I had spent so much time worrying about Thor’s I had missed it becoming mine as well. 

Thor looked down, noticing my dreamy expression and gave me a questioning look. 

“I’m just happy. We really did it.” I told him. 

“We did.” He agreed.

“It’s all so perfect.” My voice wavered, filled with unshed happy tears.

Thor’s smile widened and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, “Oh, my darling one.” He said quietly into my hair, “This is just the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it my darlings. Our boy got his happily ever after in the end :)
> 
> Just a short and sweet little epilogue left...


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn't resist, please enjoy this short & sweet little epilogue.

5 Years later…

“Finn!” I yelled across the chicken coop, “Get your sister before she breaks that egg!”

“I got her mama.” Finn called back as he headed towards Sarah who had a pale brown egg clutched in her tiny fist. A five year old rescuing a three year old wasn’t the best bet but it was better than nothing.

I struggled to hold onto Sadie who I had already rescued from chasing our big rooster around the coop. I was very clearly outnumbered by small children. 

“Someone is hungry again.” Thor announced coming up the hill towards us. Mikael was bundled up in a thick blue blanket in Thor’s arms and was wailing with the intense indignation of a four month old who had been made to wait. 

“I’m outnumbered here!” I called back with a laugh. It was chaos but I loved every minute of it. 

Thor helped to round up Finn and the twins while I took Mikael from him and we started back to the house. My heart was full watching him throw Finn a top his broad shoulders and then swing the twins onto his hips. He might still be soft around the middle but he was incredibly powerful underneath all that softness. 

Thor settled the kids around the kitchen table and began taking snack requests, something I could have told him was a mistake. There was an indecisive chorus of eight different foods from cucumbers to ice pops. I rolled my eyes as I unlatched my nursing bra and began feeding Mikael. Thor somehow compromised with banana muffins and the kids quieted down while they ate. 

“How are you doing, my love?” He asked, resting his head on my shoulder to watch as I fed our son. He had been in awe from the first time I’d fed Finn and it his amazement with it hadn’t diminished. 

“I’m okay. Still need to go back for the eggs we collected.” I reminded him. 

“I can go back up when snack time is over.” 

“Nah, you put them down for naps and I’ll go back up. I could use a few minutes of quiet.”

Thor chuckled, “We haven’t had quiet since the day we brought the twins home.” 

“True.” I conceded with a laugh. 

Thor snuggled in a little more and I ran my free hand through his hair. It was longer than I’d ever seen it and he still didn't have any intentions of cutting it. 

“You need anything, sweetheart?” I asked him quietly.

“Nothing,” he said looking around the table and then back at me, “I have everything I ever wanted right here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that my darlings is it! We have officially hit the end of the road for Thor, Mia, and their little Odinbrood. Thank you so much for sticking with me while I got all of my feels out for our sweet thunder god. I started writing "Worthy" the day after I saw Endgame for the first time and never expected it to be so long or span into two fics. It's been a crazy ride but I had a blast creating this little world where Thor could get a true happy ending. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have. 
> 
> You can always come find me over on Tumblr as EtherealWaifGoddess if you wanna chat :)


End file.
